VOA标准英语2011--Study: Vitamin D is Powerful Weapon Agai
时间：2019-01-14 作者：英语课 分类：VOA标准英语2011年(十月)
Study: Vitamin D is Powerful Weapon Against TB
Vitamin D plays a critical role in fighting infection and now scientists say that it may be a powerful weapon against tuberculosis 1.
In a study reported in the journal Science Translational Medicine, researchers studied how T-cells - a kind of white blood cell that fights infection - are especially effective against the bacteria that cause tuberculosis.
People with low vitamin D levels are more susceptible 2 to infection. It’s also known that people with reduced immunity 3 - like those with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS - are more susceptible to tuberculosis.
Robert Modlin, chief of dermatology at the University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine and study co-author says the researchers examined that connection.
“And through that, we discovered that one particular type of T-cell, the one that secreted 4 a protein called interferon-gamma, was able to activate 5 white blood cells that were infected with the tuberculosis bacteria to then kill the bacteria.”
But Modlin says it required vitamin D. “People that had low levels of vitamin D in their blood were unable to mount this mechanism 6 and kill the bacteria.”
In lab experiments, scientists supplemented blood samples that were deficient 7 in vitamin D. That activated 8 the T-cells to destroy the TB bacteria.
Modlin says the findings could lead to new therapies using supplements to prevent TB or help in its treatment. “I think it could change how we think about vitamin D supplementation.”
The paper also notes that while the skin absorbs vitamin D naturally from the sun, it takes more exposure for African Americans to reach the same level of vitamin D as white individuals.
But too much sun can lead to skin cancer. So Modlin recommends supplements over sun exposure, while cautioning that high doses can be toxic 9.
“I recommend that people consult with their internal medicine doctor and perhaps have their vitamin D levels measured if they think that’s appropriate and institute the right supplementation for them.”
Modlin says the next step is to initiate 10 clinical trials to learn whether vitamin D supplements can augment 11 resistance to tuberculosis or other infections.
- People used to go to special health spring to recover from tuberculosis.人们常去温泉疗养胜地治疗肺结核。
- Tuberculosis is a curable disease.肺结核是一种可治愈的病。
- Children are more susceptible than adults.孩子比成人易受感动。
- We are all susceptible to advertising.我们都易受广告的影响。
- The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
- He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。
- Insulin is secreted by the pancreas. 胰岛素是胰腺分泌的。
- He secreted his winnings in a drawer. 他把赢来的钱藏在抽届里。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- We must activate the youth to study.我们要激励青年去学习。
- These push buttons can activate the elevator.这些按钮能启动电梯。
- The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。
- The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。
- The crops are suffering from deficient rain.庄稼因雨量不足而遭受损害。
- I always have been deficient in selfconfidence and decision.我向来缺乏自信和果断。
- The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
- There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。
- A language teacher should initiate pupils into the elements of grammar.语言老师应该把基本语法教给学生。
- They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.他们想启动一次经济学讨论。