第2644期: How the Brain Cleans Itself(2)

Beta-amyloids are substances linked to problems in the brain including Alzheimer’s disease. When scientists injected mice with beta-amyloids, the substance left the brain faster when the animals were sleeping. β-淀粉样蛋白是与包括阿尔茨海默氏病在内的大脑问题有关的物质。 当科学家向小鼠注射β淀粉样蛋白时，该物质在动物睡觉时会更快地离开大脑。

It is not clear exactly how the system works. However, some research has shown that the movement of blood vessels might help move the waste-clearing fluid where it needs to go. 目前尚不清楚系统如何工作。 但是，一些研究表明，血管的运动可能有助于将废水清除液移动到需要的地方。

Finding the system in humans is not easy. Regular MRI scans can show some of the fluid-filled channels. But Piantino said the scans do not show their purpose. 在人类中找到系统并不容易。 常规的MRI扫描可以显示一些充满流体的通道。 但是Piantino说，扫描没有显示出其目的。

To find out more, his team at Oregon Health & Science University injected a substance called a tracer into five patients. The tracer “lit up” during MRI scans. Twenty-four to 48 hours later, the tracer material was seen moving through the brain using the channels as in the earlier research on mice. 为了了解更多信息，他在俄勒冈州健康与科学大学的团队向五名患者注入了一种名为示踪剂的物质。 示踪剂在MRI扫描过程中“点亮”。 二十四到48小时后，观察到示踪剂的材料使用通道在大脑中移动，就像对小鼠的早期研究一样。

Rochester’s Dr. Maiken Nedergaard predicts that the study will increase interest in how brain waste clearance connects to people’s health. 罗切斯特（Rochester）的Maiken Nedergaard博士预测，这项研究将增加对脑浪费清除如何与人们健康相关的兴趣。

But to test if better sleep or other treatments might really increase waste clearance and improve health, researchers "have to be able to measure glymphatic function in people,” said Dr. Jeff Iliff. He is with the University of Washington and has helped lead waste-clearance research. The question is whether the new study might point to ways of measuring the process. 但是，要测试更好的睡眠或其他治疗方法是否确实可以增加废物清除并改善健康状况，研究人员“必须能够衡量人们的同变功能，” Jeff Iliff博士说。 他在华盛顿大学任职，并帮助领导了废物清除研究。 问题是新研究是否可能指出测量过程的方法。

Sleep is not the only question. For example, animal studies show that a blood pressure drug now used to treat the stress disorder called PTSD might improve glymphatic clearing. Iliff and Dr. Elaine Peskind plan to study this drug in a group of patients. 睡眠不是唯一的问题。 例如，动物研究表明，现在用来治疗称为PTSD的应激障碍的血压药物可能会改善胶囊清除。 Iliff和Elaine Peskind博士计划在一组患者中研究这种药物。

Larger studies in healthy people are also needed. 还需要在健康人中进行更大的研究。

In addition, Piantino, who used tracer chemicals in people, wants to find an easier, noninvasive test to follow the waste clearance. 此外，使用示踪剂化学物质的Piantino希望找到一个更容易，无创的测试来遵循废物清除。

“We cannot study all the questions by injecting people,” he said. 他说：“我们无法通过注入人来研究所有问题。”