每天小劑量偉哥可能減少結直腸癌風險

Due to its distinctive effects on male physiology, Viagra is a drug that has changed the lives of countless men around the world over the last two decades.

由于偉哥對于男性生理的獨特效果，在過去的二十多年中，這種神藥已經(jīng)改變了世界各地無數(shù)的男性的個人生活。

But an unexpected side effect of the little blue pill hints at even greater transformative potential that scientists never knew about before -- and one that could ultimately save thousands of lives.

但是，科學家們直到最近才發(fā)現(xiàn)，這種藍色小藥片似乎還有另一種出乎意料的副作用，預示著更大的顛覆性潛能，甚至可能最終拯救數(shù)以千計的生命。

Researchers studying the effects of Viagra (aka sildenafil) on mice have discovered a small, daily dose of the medication in the animals' drinking water significantly reduces their risk of developing colorectal cancer.

科學家在研究偉哥(又稱昔多芬)對于小鼠的影響時，發(fā)現(xiàn)在動物每天的飲水中加入小劑量藥物，可以顯著降低它們得結直腸癌的風險。

Giving a baby dose of Viagra can reduce the amount of tumours in these animals by half, says biochemist Darren D. Browning from Augusta University.

奧古斯塔大學的生物化學家達倫·D·勃朗寧稱，服用很小劑量的偉哥，能將這些動物中的腫瘤數(shù)量減半。

We should bear in mind that so far this surprising result has only been demonstrated in the animal model, not in people as yet.

有一點我們應該注意，就是目前這些驚人的結果只來自動物模型，還沒有在人體中得到印證。

But that's the exact next step the team wants to pursue, saying a clinical trial with patients considered at high risk of colorectal cancer -- or with a family history of the disease -- should be a research priority.

但這正是研究團隊下一步的研究方向，對于那些具有結直腸癌高風險的患者，或是有家族病史的患者進行臨床試驗，應該是研究的首要任務。

If such a trial gets the green light and the effects can be replicated in humans, it could be a huge step forward in saving lives lost to cancer.

如果這樣的臨床試驗獲得批準，并且最終證明偉哥可以在人體中得到相同的效果，那么對于挽救那些因癌癥而失去生命的人來說，無疑前進了巨大的一步。

In people, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide, causing in excess of 1 million cases annually -- some 50,000 of which end in death in the US each year.

對于人類，結直腸癌是世界范圍內(nèi)第三大癌癥類型，每年超過一百萬人被診斷出此病，在美國每年大約五萬人死于結直腸癌。

There's a chance we might be able reduce these grim numbers with Viagra, the researchers think, thanks to the effect the drug appears to have on tissue that can become cancerous.

研究者認為，由于偉哥對那些可能癌變組織的潛在影響，它或許可以幫我們降低這個嚴酷的統(tǒng)計數(shù)字。

In the study, the researchers demonstrated that the daily Viagra dose halved the formation of polyps in mouse tissue: abnormal clumps of cells that form on intestinal lining, which have a tendency to become tumours.

在研究中，科學家們發(fā)現(xiàn)，每天服用一定劑量的偉哥，可以讓小鼠組織中息肉的形成數(shù)量減半：這些息肉就是在小腸內(nèi)壁形成的異常細胞團，它們有可能變成腫瘤。

Another drug the researchers experimented with, linaclotide -- used to treat constipation and irritable bowel syndrome -- was even more effective than Viagra.

而研究者們同時試驗過另一種藥：利那洛肽。該藥常用來治療便秘和腸易激綜合癥。它比偉哥的效果更加顯著。

But it comes with a nasty drawback: diarrhoea, even in small doses, which makes it ultimately unsuitable for prolonged use, the researchers say.

但研究者發(fā)現(xiàn)它有一個非常不好的缺點：即使是小劑量也會導致腹瀉，因而并不適合長期服用。

In contrast, Viagra at such low doses isn't known to produce side effects in humans, which could make it a safe, convenient way to stop the spread of polyps, thanks to it promoting production of a chemical called cyclic GMP inside the body.

相反，低劑量的偉哥則不會對人體產(chǎn)生任何已知的副作用，而且因為它能促進體內(nèi)產(chǎn)生一種稱為環(huán)磷酸鳥苷的化學物質，所以是一種既安全又方便阻止息肉擴散的方法。