從古希臘和古中國(guó)的治療方法得到的靈感而產(chǎn)生的一種新治療方法可以減輕數(shù)百萬(wàn)關(guān)節(jié)炎患者和神經(jīng)損傷患者的痛苦,，這是一項(xiàng)由愛(ài)丁堡大學(xué)最新研究報(bào)道的成果。
古希臘學(xué)者希波克拉底（Hippocrates）利用冷凍皮膚的方法治療扭傷,、關(guān)節(jié)疼痛和關(guān)節(jié)炎,；而中醫(yī)療法則利用薄荷油來(lái)治療這些疾病,。而現(xiàn)在科學(xué)家們發(fā)現(xiàn)了與薄荷油具有相同性質(zhì)的致冷化學(xué)物具有戲劇性的止痛效果，并且使用時(shí)僅需要在皮膚上應(yīng)用較少的劑量,。與傳統(tǒng)的止痛藥不一樣,，因?yàn)檫@些化合物為皮膚外用型，所以具有較小的毒副作用,。這對(duì)于慢性疼痛病人來(lái)說(shuō)無(wú)疑是一種理想的藥物,，因?yàn)閭鹘y(tǒng)的止痛藥對(duì)他們來(lái)說(shuō)根本不起作用。
該愛(ài)丁堡大學(xué)的研究開(kāi)始時(shí)精確地分析薄荷油里的成分是怎樣工作的,。他們?cè)谧罱谌祟惼つw中的少量神經(jīng)細(xì)胞發(fā)現(xiàn)的受體（一種能與薄荷油成分結(jié)合的蛋白）上展開(kāi)研究,。科學(xué)家們發(fā)現(xiàn)這種叫做TRPM8的受體被致冷的化學(xué)物質(zhì)或者冷溫激活,，抑制“疼痛信息”從痛處傳送到大腦中去,，該新研究就是利用了這種身體自身的機(jī)制來(lái)止痛。
假如希波克拉底還在世的話,，該發(fā)現(xiàn)無(wú)疑會(huì)引起的興趣,，在寫于公元前5世紀(jì)的他的一本經(jīng)典格言書里，他說(shuō)道：“關(guān)節(jié)腫痛,、痛風(fēng)和扭傷可以用冷水來(lái)減輕痛苦和消腫,；起到中等程度麻痹的作用去除疼痛。”
Susan Fleetwood-Walker教授和Rory Mitchell領(lǐng)導(dǎo)了該研究項(xiàng)目,，她說(shuō)：“這個(gè)關(guān)于薄荷油和相關(guān)成分具有止痛作用的發(fā)現(xiàn)對(duì)許多慢性疼痛患者來(lái)說(shuō)具有潛在的治療意義,，其中包括關(guān)節(jié)炎患者、神經(jīng)損傷患者和意外事故中的脊骨損傷患者等,。傳統(tǒng)的止痛藥如嗎啡對(duì)于慢性疼痛來(lái)說(shuō)通常不起作用,。”
“我們的發(fā)現(xiàn)意味著病人只需在皮膚上使用小劑量的這些化學(xué)物就能減輕痛苦，并且沒(méi)有副作用,。我們希望在年內(nèi)能進(jìn)行這些化學(xué)物的臨床實(shí)驗(yàn),。”
英文原文：
'Mint' pain killer takes leaf out of ancient medical texts
A new synthetic treatment inspired by ancient Greek and Chinese remedies could offer pain relief to millions of patients with arthritis and nerve damage, a new University of Edinburgh study suggests.
The Greek scholar Hippocrates treated sprains, joint pains and inflammation by cooling the skin, and traditional Chinese remedies used mint oil to the same end. Now scientists have discovered that cooling chemicals which have the same properties as mint oil have a dramatic pain-killing effect when applied in small doses to the skin. Unlike conventional pain killers, these compounds are likely to have minimal toxic side-effects, especially because they are applied externally to the skin. This should mean they are ideal for chronic pain patients for whom conventional pain killers often do not work.
The Edinburgh study sets out exactly how the 'mint oil' compounds (and related more powerful chemicals) work. They act through a recently discovered receptor (a protein which is capable of binding with these chemicals) which is found in a small percentage of nerve cells in the human skin. The scientists have found that when this receptor, called TRPM8, is activated by the cooling chemicals or cool temperatures, it inhibits the 'pain messages' being sent from the locality of the pain to the brain. Thus, the new treatment makes good use of the body's own mechanisms for killing pain.
The findings would doubtless have been of interest to Hippocrates, the founding father of modern medicine. Writing in the fifth century BC, in chapter 5 of his classic text, Aphorisms, he stated: "Swellings and pains in the joints, ulceration, those of a gouty nature, and sprains, are generally improved by a copious affusion of cold water, which reduces the swelling, and removes the pain; for a moderate degree of numbness removes pain."
Professor Susan Fleetwood-Walker, who jointly led the study with Dr Rory Mitchell, says:
"This discovery of the pain-relieving properties of mint oil and related compounds has great potential for alleviating the suffering of millions of chronic pain patients, including those with arthritis or those who have had nerve damage or spinal injury following major accidents. Conventional painkillers such as morphine are often ineffective in cases of chronic pain, and simply lowering the temperature of the skin is too inexact."
"Our discovery means that patients can be given low doses of a powerful pain killer, delivered through the skin, without side effects. We hope clinical trials on the compounds will begin within the year."
