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生命科學系暨基因體所博士生陳怡帆 突破長壽研究
2009-05-16 00:00:00 作者:汪威達 分類:健康專區
敗犬女王與鼠共眠 突破長壽研究 生科系暨基因體所博士生陳怡帆。(記者謝文華攝) 記者謝文華�專訪 「老師,老鼠冒白毛!」陽明大學副教授蔡亭芬花了三年時間研究肝癌基因,正當成效掛零,沮喪到想將老鼠箱束之高閣時,生科系暨基因體所博士生陳怡帆一句話,整個研究頓時峰迴路轉。 6年養2千多隻小鼠 實驗室裡的老鼠沒有假期,助理也沒有,為了實驗不同藥劑在老鼠身上的影響,蔡亭芬的助理必須每天一隻隻灌食,從不間斷。她說:「我的實驗室學生『存活率』五十%,陳怡帆超級細心、有耐性,還很美麗,有她鍥而不捨的努力,才讓研究出現重大突破。」 陳怡帆今年三十一歲,博士念了六年,是實驗室最資深的學姊,「沒畢業、沒結婚」,讓她壓力不小,被學弟妹封為「敗犬女王」。 成天泡在實驗室的陳怡帆,一次盛裝參加演講,系上教授竟完全認不出來,還笑稱:平常看妳在實驗室「鼠頭鼠臉」的,一打扮彷彿變成另一個人。 回想第一次抓老鼠,太緊張、施力不對,小黑鼠抽搐幾下,死在她手上。很多人勸她,到別的實驗室吧!但陳怡帆認為,哺乳類的研究,對人類很重要,堅持留下。 解剖小鼠,須斷頭取腦、剝皮摘器官,難免恐懼,剛開始,她總拜託別人在旁壯膽,六年下來,她養了兩千多隻小鼠,現已練就不論從哪裡下刀,都能精準、快速。 每年實驗室都會為研究犧牲的小生命誦經、辦普渡,陳怡帆說每一次的解剖,她都很嚴肅仔細去做,期許自己「別讓任何一個生命白白浪費」。 最資深學姊…實驗室就是家 與小鼠共處的日子,最煎熬的,就是得日夜灌食、觀察。最密集時十五分鐘一次,不能睡覺,雖家住桃園,近在咫尺,但從農曆年至今,還沒回家,「實驗室就是我家」。 由於陽明大學儀器有限,陳怡帆經常抱著兩、三隻小鼠,到中研院、國衛院、長庚大學進行各種檢驗,最遠曾帶小鼠飛越對岸,赴上海瑞金醫院看骨科。 忙著為人類尋找抗老基因,卻無暇顧及抓住青春尾巴,對自己的幸福,已逐漸學會看淡,她笑說:「誰可以等我到最後,再說吧!」
世界衛生組織︰豬流感(Swine Flu)恐爆發大流行
2009-04-26 00:00:00 作者:汪威達 分類:健康專區
Q:何謂豬流感? A:為A型流感病毒H1N1,墨西哥大流行的豬流感為變種病毒(本來只會感染豬,突變之後也可以感染人),秋冬是它的好發季節,但全年都會傳染。 Q:豬流感有何症狀? A:感染到豬流感,症狀跟流感非常類似,通常會發燒到38.5度以上,咳嗽、喉嚨痛,肌肉、關節和骨頭痠痛、疲勞的情況,還有有流鼻水、胸腹疼痛,最後會出現嚴重的肺炎。 Q:豬流感的致死率? A:在墨西哥,致命率有6.7%,死亡病患大多是25到40歲的壯年人。 Q:如何預防豬流感? A:其實和一般預防流感的做法雷同,避免到人多的地方,不要跟他人一起吃一盤食物或一杯飲料,避免握手、親吻,最好常洗手。感冒者請勿進出公共場所,若非得出入公共場所請戴口罩。周遭有人咳嗽請立即遠離,外出回家後請嚴格執行洗手。 Q:怎傳染豬流感? A:它的傳染是經由打噴嚏、咳嗽或身體接觸散播病毒,曾有專家懷疑吃豬肉是不是也會傳染,但現在已經排除吃肉會傳染的可能。 Q:豬流感疫區? A:美國疾管局證實豬流感會人傳人,疫區在墨西哥已有81人死亡,上千多人感染,和鄰近墨西哥的美國,也出現19個確定病例,另外有75位高中生疑似感染待確認。 (Q/A摘自今日新聞  新聞小辭典)   世衛︰豬流感恐爆發大流行 墨西哥衛生官員已要求民眾盡量待在家裡,就算出門逛街或搭乘大眾運輸工具也要戴口罩。許多墨西哥市通勤族在搭乘地鐵時都戴上口罩,連小寶寶也不例外(法新社)。 〔編譯羅彥傑、管淑平�綜合二十五日外電報導〕墨西哥與美國爆發人染豬流感疫情,在墨西哥已造成至少六十八人死亡,引發全球關注。世界衛生組織(WHO)二十五日在日內瓦召開緊急會議,特地中斷美國行程趕回開會的世衛總幹事陳馮富珍在會前向記者表示,這起豬流感疫情正迅速發展,「WHO評估認為情況嚴重,必須非常密切監測」,疫情會如何發展「難以預測」,而且因其能感染人,「有爆發大流行的可能」。 陳馮富珍在WHO位於瑞士的「戰略衛生行動中心」(SHOC)聽取簡報後指出,「我們尚未充分了解疫情或其風險全貌,包括是否散布到目前感染區以外的地區」,呼籲其他國家提高警覺,對不尋常疾病、肺炎病例增加和是否在正常流感季節之外爆發類似流感疫情加強監測。至於是否發布旅遊警示,陳馮富珍說,現在「言之過早」,需要更多疫情資料和分析。 世衛可能提高警戒層級 專家稱為時已晚 這場會議討論是否要提高流行病警戒等級或發布旅遊警告,目前世衛的流行病警戒等級為第三級,意指沒有或者非常有限的人傳人新病毒蔓延風險。世衛發言人哈特說,基於從墨西哥初步得到的證據顯示病毒已能人傳人,可能考慮提高警戒層級。但著名的全球大流感專家、美國明尼蘇達大學公衛教授歐思特荷姆說,要遏止疫情爆發恐怕為時已晚。他說,鑒於流感會在全球快速散播,如果一個地方已經有爆發流行的跡象,那麼其他地方可能正有病例潛伏。 WHO表示,墨西哥有十二名病患的病毒基因和A型H1N1型豬流感病毒株相同,而此型病毒也出現在後來康復的美國加州與德州八名病患身上。 墨西哥市 暫停所有公共活動10天 墨西哥政府表示,該病毒已造成二十人死亡,另外四十八人的死亡也可能是同一種病毒株造成。大多數死者都是青壯年,年齡介於二十五歲至四十五歲之間,因此更讓人憂心,因為季節性流感造成的老人與兒童死亡人數較多。總計全墨西哥有一千零四件疑似病例。這種病毒先前未在豬隻或人類身上發現。 墨西哥市已經宣布所有公共活動都暫停十天,以便當局遏止疫情蔓延,墨西哥市長艾柏拉德也表示,當局有足夠醫藥治療感染者,但是目前重點是要控制住疫情。墨西哥衛生部長柯多瓦強調,死亡率似乎已穩定下來。 紐約75名學生出現類流感 有人去過墨國 根據紐約時報報導,紐約皇后區聖法蘭西斯預備學校通報約七十五名出現類流感症狀的中學生,「其中有一些據稱最近去過墨西哥。」目前防疫當局尚未確認這些學生確實感染豬流感,但已對學校進行消毒作為預防措施。(自由時報) (以下為NY TIMES的報導) MEXICO CITY — This sprawling capital was on edge Saturday as jittery residents ventured out wearing surgical masks and President Felipe Calderón published an order that would give his government emergency powers to address a deadly flu outbreak, including isolating those who have contracted the virus, inspecting the homes of affected people and ordering the cancellation of public events. White-coated health care workers fanned out across the international airport here to look for ailing passengers, and thousands of callers fearful they might have contracted the rare swine flu flooded government health hot lines. Health officials also began notifying restaurants, bars and nightclubs throughout the city that they should close. Of those Mexicans who did go out in public, many took the advice of the authorities and donned the masks, which are known here as tapabocas, or cover-your-mouths, and were being handed out by soldiers and health workers at subway stops and on street corners. “My government will not delay one minute to take all the necessary measures to deal with this epidemic,” Mr. Calderón said in Oaxaca State during the opening of a new hospital, which he said would set aside an area for anyone who might be affected by the new swine flu strain that has already killed as many as 81 people in Mexico and sickened more than 1,300 others. Mr. Calderón pointed out that he and the other officials who attended the ceremony intentionally did not greet each other with handshakes or kisses on the cheek, which health officials have urged Mexicans to avoid. At a news conference Saturday night to address the crisis, Mexico’s health minister, José Ángel Córdova, said 20 of the 81 reported deaths were confirmed to have been caused by swine flu, while the rest are being studied. Most of the cases of illness were reported in the center of the country, but there were other cases in pockets to the north and south. The government also announced at the news conference that schools in and around the capital that serve millions of students would remain closed until May 6. With 20 million people packed together tight, Mexico City typically bursts forth on the weekends into parks, playgrounds, cultural centers and sidewalk cafes. But things were quieter than usual on Saturday. The government encouraged people to stay home by canceling concerts, closing museums and banning spectators from two big soccer matches on Sunday that will be played in front of television cameras, but no live crowd. At street corners on Saturday, even many of the jugglers, dancers and musicians who eke out a living collecting spare change when the traffic lights turn red were wearing bright blue surgical masks. The newspaper Reforma reported that President Obama, who recently visited Mexico, was escorted around Mexico City’s national anthropology museum on April 16 by Felipe Solis, an archaeologist who died the next day from flu-like symptoms. But Dr. Córdova said that it does not appear that Mr. Solis died of influenza. White House officials said Saturday that they were aware of the news reports in Mexico but that there was no reason to be concerned about Mr. Obama’s health, that he had no symptoms and that his medical staff had recommended he not be tested. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said Saturday that it had sent a team of experts to Mexico to assist with the investigation of the outbreak, which has already been reported in Texas and California and possibly in New York, raising fears that it could spread into a global pandemic. The possible New York cases were reported at a Queens high school, where eight students tested positive for a type of influenza that health officials suspect could be the new swine flu. Some of the school’s students had traveled to Mexico recently. Still, the World Health Organization, which held a meeting on Saturday to discuss the outbreak, chose not to raise the level of global pandemic flu alert, which has been at a Level 3 because of the avian flu. Epidemiologists want to know exactly when the first cases occurred in Mexico. Mexican health officials said they first noticed a huge spike in flu cases in late March. In mid-April, they began noticing that otherwise healthy people were dying from the virus. But it was only on Thursday night that officials first sounded an alarm to the population by closing schools, after United States health officials announced a possible swine flu outbreak. By issuing the emergency decree Saturday, Mr. Calderón may have been trying to head off criticism that his government had been too slow to act. He had earlier called in the army to distribute four million masks throughout the capital and its suburbs. Lt. Raymundo Morales Merla, who stood outside a military transport truck parked outside a downtown subway station on Saturday, led a group of 27 soldiers who had arrived at 7 a.m. to hand out as many masks as they could. The scene at the airport was alarming, with doctors stationed at the entrances to answer questions and to keep an eye out for obviously sick people. Regular public address announcements in English and Spanish warned travelers that anyone exhibiting any symptoms should cancel their flight and immediately seek medical attention. Even Sunday Mass will probably be affected. The Roman Catholic Church gave worshipers the option to listen to Masses on the radio and told priests who decided to hold services to be brief and put Communion wafers in worshipers’ hands instead of their mouths. Axel de la Macorra, 46, a physics professor at National Autonomous University of Mexico, said he became worried when he learned recently that a 31-year-man who played at a tennis club he once belonged to had suddenly died. “He got sick at the beginning of April and two weeks later, he was dead,” said Mr. de la Macorra, who was weighing whether to attend a First Communion with 200 guests on Saturday. “My mother told me to wear it so I did,” said Noel Ledezma, 29, who had his mask pulled down so he could sip a coffee and eat a muffin as he walked to work. “Who knows who will be next.” Sarahe Gomez, who was selling jewelry at a mall in the upscale Polanco neighborhood, spoke through a mask to the few customers who visited her kiosk. “I’m in the middle of all these people and one of them could have it,” she said. “The virus could be anywhere. It could be right here.” She then took a half step back. “This is no joke,” said Servando Peneda, 42, a lawyer who ventured out to pay a bill, but left his two sons home. “There’s 20 million of us in this city and I’d say half of us have these masks on today. I know all of us will die one day, but I want to last out the week.” Antonio Betancourt contributed reporting from Mexico City, and Sheryl Gay Stolberg from Washington.
英國研究:升官會危害健康 更沒空就醫
2009-04-12 00:00:00 作者:汪威達 分類:健康專區
其實現代人的生活壓力很大.若再升官可以想見壓力更大 不過世人還是想升官吧 這是一個15年的研究很不錯.繼續追蹤下去或許還會發現更多狀況.例如健康情形.死亡率或是社交方面的情形等   (法新社倫敦 10日電) 英國研究人員在今天發表的一份研究報告中指出,工作職務提升會危害健康,並導致沒有時間看病。 英國中部的華瑞克大學(University of Warwick)的經濟與心理研究人員發現,職務獲得提升造成心理緊張增加10%,一旦生病時,少了20%的時間就醫。 這個團隊研究一般認為的想法,職務提升會使自我價值感增加,並增進健康。 這個研究團隊在英國從1991年到2005年收集了1000位職務提升者的資料,並沒有發現升職增進健康的證據。 但是他們確實發現,進入更高階職務的人,因心理緊張而明顯受苦。 研究員鮑以思(Chris Boyce)說:「職場晉升並不如許多人想像的好。我們研究發現,許多經理在獲得升職後沒有多久,他們的心理健康就明顯惡化。」(譯者:楊一峰)更新日期:2009/04/11 15:05
HSV type I 感染與阿茲海默氏症有關但能否經由口服抗病毒要減少發生失智症恐怕還有爭議
2009-02-23 00:00:00 作者:汪威達 分類:健康專區
HSV type I 感染與阿茲海默氏症有關但能否經由口服抗病毒要減少失智症恐怕還有爭議 〔記者鍾麗華�台北報導〕研究指出,唇皰疹病毒與阿茲海默症(老人失智症)有關。根據統計,有八成的人曾感染過唇皰疹,潛伏的罹病風險不小,醫師建議,民眾罹患唇皰疹時,最好在發病三天內投以抗病毒藥物,才能抑制病毒複製。健保已開始給付唇皰疹抗病毒外用藥,更有效的口服藥物則仍須自費。 淡水馬偕紀念醫院小兒科主治醫師林達雄指出,國外已有不少研究證實,唇皰疹病毒與失智症有關,腦細胞中的「β糊蛋白」(beta amyloid protein)斑塊堆積,是造成失智症的主要原因之一,科學家在九十%的失智症患者腦中的β糊蛋白中發現唇皰疹病毒的DNA。 林達雄強調,十四歲到五十九歲的民眾,有八成都感染過唇皰疹,尤其七個月大到六歲的兒童最容易感染皰疹病毒,一般小朋友感染都是給予緩解症狀的治療方式,但他認為,應該投以口服抗病毒藥物,才能減少病毒複製,殘存在體內,否則恐成為四、五十年後,造成失智症的風險。 一旦感染皰疹病毒,病毒就會終生潛藏於人體的神經節內,如果免疫力下降、壓力大、天冷溫差大使身體抵抗力降低、熬夜等,就會再度發病,兒童可能經由父母親的餵食、親吻時遭傳染,而抗病毒藥主要是讓病毒不要繼續複製、抑制病毒繁殖。
口交與口腔癌相關性報導
2008-10-19 00:00:00 作者:汪威達 分類:健康專區
在台灣關於口腔癌的研究.最重要的危險因子是嚼檳榔.抽菸.國外因為嚼檳榔少.相關研究不多. 子宮頸癌與人類乳突病毒(HPV)有很大關連.預防HPV的疫苗目前已知可以有效減少子宮頸癌.或許也可以研究該疫苗預防口腔癌的效果.不過在台灣戒檳榔.戒菸可能更重要 ABC相關報導如下 美國廣播公司(ABC)新聞網15日報導,苦主38歲的女侍泰瑞莎•狄倫就是一例。4年前她的喉嚨痛症狀被診斷為二期扁桃腺癌。她說,「一般人以為菸酒不離手的老年人才會得癌症,我沒想到像我這樣的年輕女性、健康、沒有抽菸、身材勻稱,竟然也會得癌症。」 更令她震驚的是,讓她得到口腔癌症的是人類乳突病毒(HPV),一般是經過性行為傳染。像狄倫這般由HPV引起口腔癌,正是讓研究者困惑的新類型病患。 約翰霍普金斯醫學中心研究團隊,2月在臨床腫瘤科期刊發表研究報告,指出他們在1973年至2004年間研究HPV導致的口腔癌,發現40多歲的人罹癌率幾乎是一般人的兩倍。 而根據美國癌症協會的資料,現在有超過3萬4,000人有口腔癌,當中39%由HPV引起。 波士頓的達那-法柏(Dana-Farber)癌症研究治療中心頭頸部外科醫生哈達德說,「這些病患都年約30、40歲,不吸菸、沒有飲酒過量,但每次我們都會在他們的組織切片樣本中發現HPV-16」。 HPV只經由直接接觸感染,克里夫蘭診所的醫生羅姆因此說,「口腔癌和口交,絕對有關聯」。 雖然尚無証據,但HPV確有可能經由口對口傳染。約翰霍普金斯金梅爾癌症中心的吉利遜教授表示,HPV透過唾液而傳染的可能性,同樣不能排除。 【2008/10/16 聯合報】  
過敏原檢測呈陽性 就一定會過敏嗎?
2008-09-09 00:00:00 作者:汪威達 分類:健康專區
過敏原檢測呈陽性 不代表就一定會過敏 Q:日前朋友到診所接受過敏原檢測,醫師告知她有多項過敏原,甚至還包括她常吃的牛肉、鳳梨等十幾項食品。由於我的朋友平日吃這些東西並沒有皮膚癢等過敏症狀,為什麼血液檢查卻有這種結果呢?真的必須在日常生活中避開這些食物嗎? A:目前很多民眾接受高價的過敏原檢測,不過其中不少檢測的標的是免疫球蛋白G(IgG),而非免疫球蛋白E(IgE)。 這兩種免疫球蛋白代表的意義大不相同。過敏細胞上,只有免疫球蛋白E的接受體,至於免疫球蛋白G,是正常的免疫力反應,吃所有東西後,身體都會產生免疫球蛋白G,也因此,不少人會發現,接受這類檢查的那段時間前後,比較常吃的東西,經常就會被揪出來當成過敏原。 此外,即使是免疫球蛋白E檢測呈陽性,也不一定就代表一定會過敏。事實上,會不會過敏,還是要試吃後才知道。 其實,大部分的食物還是沒問題的,不需要因為看到檢驗結果,就過度反應,一大堆東西都不敢吃。 (馬偕醫院小兒過敏免疫科主任徐世達解答,記者洪素卿整理)
如何看待癲癇患者------給室友的信(賴其萬醫師)
2008-09-07 00:00:00 作者:汪威達 分類:健康專區
親愛的同學: 這封信是我要向你介紹你的新室友的健康情形。我是他的神經內科醫師賴其萬,你的新室友是我從他國中時期就開始照顧的癲癇病人。 癲癇是一種來自大腦突發的不正常放電,導致病人瞬間發生一些自己無法掌控的症狀。這是一種常見的腦部疾病,但很不幸的是在台灣社會還存在一些不正確的看法,而使這種病人常常選擇躲在黑暗的角落,不願意告知朋友,然而一旦發作時,往往會引起周遭的人更多的誤解。你的室友在我的幫忙下,規律地服藥已經很久沒有再發作,但他選擇鼓起勇氣,要在剛認識你的第一天,就要告訴你一般人難以啟齒的事。我對於這種誠實以對的態度非常贊同,我誠懇地希望你也與我一樣,因為他的真誠以對,而以他為榮。 我這三十多年來在國內外教書時,都常對年輕的醫生與醫學生們說,你我之所以沒有癲癇病,並不是我們做對了什麼,而病人之所以有癲癇病,也不是他做錯了什麼,這純粹是我們比他幸運而已,也因為這樣,我覺得我們都應該更用心地幫忙這種比我們不幸的人。如果你能提醒他按時服藥、規律生活起居、充分休息睡眠,將對他會有很大的幫忙。 非常真誠地希望你能好好與你的室友建立深厚的友情,我在多年照顧他的機緣下也有機會認識他與他的家人,我發現他們都是很正直友善可以信任的好人,希望你會喜歡你的室友。 祝你 健康愉快 賴其萬醫師 (一位我照顧多年的癲癇病友,今年高中畢業,考上了國立大學,再過幾個星期就要離家住校。他很擔心萬一自己在宿舍癲癇發作,會引起室友驚恐,甚而遭到同學排斥。我一直勸說我的病人,不管癲癇的控制情形如何理想,最好還是要向與他們日夜生活在一起的人,據實告知自己的病情。我也提到我過去在美國曾經不只一次地主動為大學新生的病人寫信,使他們能夠在剛搬進宿舍時,以我的信代替他們向剛認識的室友尷尬的告白。 就在這次出國開會的當天,我接到了這位病人以e-mail 邀我幫他在離家入學前,寫一封「給室友的信」。我相信台灣還有很多與他一樣的癲癇病人,也需要這種信,所以在徵得他的同意下,我把信中的一部分摘錄發表。)(自由時報自由廣場)
棕色脂肪可以幫助消耗卡路里
2008-08-27 00:00:00 作者:汪威達 分類:健康專區
     而脂肪也有兩種。分子組成的白色脂肪會儲存卡路里,已導致全球愈來愈常見的肥胖現象,其後果包括糖尿病心臟病等。      棕色脂肪則不同,事實上,與科學家了解的大相逕庭。棕色脂肪在嬰兒身上比成人身上常見,為了找出體內觸發製造棕色脂肪的化學物質,哈佛醫學院喬斯林糖尿病中心研究團隊,以基因改造老鼠進行實驗。團隊發現,一種稱為BMP7的蛋白質,在製造棕色脂肪的過程中相當重要,如果沒有這種蛋白質,棕色脂肪就無法發展,導致老鼠死亡。      哈佛大學戴納法伯癌症研究所的史佩格曼發現,讓他「嚇一大跳」的是,製造棕色脂肪的幹細胞,事實上與製造肌肉細胞組織的幹細胞相同。其中關鍵在於決定這些成體幹細胞如何發展的主控蛋白質「PRDM16」。      他說:「我認為我們現在有非常有力的證據顯示,PRDM16可將細胞轉為棕色脂肪細胞,有對抗肥胖的潛在價值。」 There are two types of fat or adipose tissue in the human body, brown fat, with the primary function of burning calories to generate body heat, and white fat, which acts as an energy store. Now the surprise finding that brown fat cells are a derivative of the skeletal muscle lineage may prompt a rethink on our view of the relationship between these two tissues. Previously most models of fat development have suggested that brown and white fat cells arise from a common adipogenic precursor cell, but in vivo lineage tracing shows that brown fat cells arise from myoblastic cells that express the Myf5 gene, a marker thus far found only in muscle cells. And PRDM16, a zinc-finger protein known to stimulate brown fat-selective gene expression, can powerfully regulate the bidirectional cell fate switch between muscle and brown fat. As a dominant regulator of the brown fat cell fate, PRDM16 may have potential use therapeutically in obesity, as may compounds able to induce PRDM16 expression in white fat or muscle progenitors. The cover represents brown fat cells in which PRDM16 expression is suppressed by shRNA, with myocytes shown in red and fat cells and other cell types marked by blue nuclei. http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v454/n7207/covers/index.html Nature Cover art: Eric Smith.
老公威而剛,老婆畏而傷
2008-08-17 00:00:00 作者:汪威達 分類:健康專區
老公威而剛,老婆畏而傷  威而剛自上市以來,成為全世界的焦點,許多人藉之重振雄風,一時之間威而剛彷彿成了男人的救世主。就在全世界男人歌頌威而剛之時,一位六十歲的婦人控告藥廠要求賠償,原因是她七十歲的先生服用威而剛之後,不但重振雄風,而且還到外面拈花惹草,導致兩人婚姻的破裂。 臺安醫院主治醫師周輝政表示,其實有許多更年期女性看到威而剛的廣告時,實在十分頭痛,她們的困擾不在於先生不能滿足需求,而在於更年期以後性生活,對她們來說只有『痛』沒有『快』。 周輝政醫師指出,多數女性在進入更年期以後,或多或少會遇到性生活方面的障礙,但是不知如何向人求教,也不好意思開口,就把問題憋在心裡導致影響夫妻間的生活和感情。更年期婦女由於體內缺乏女性荷爾蒙,停經一段時間以後,陰道的黏膜和表皮會逐漸變的萎縮,乾燥,易於受傷。加上乾燥和萎縮的陰道,不但會有異常的搔癢感,性交時也會因而感到不舒服、甚至表皮會因而受傷、疼痛,性生活成為一種不愉快的經驗;因此這些生理上的變化,常常會讓更年期女性將性生活視為畏途。 此外,陰道和黏膜的表皮變薄,抵抗力減弱,常常會感染細菌,造成久治不癒的黃帶或是綠帶,由於感染所帶來的不舒服和異常的味道,也會影響到性生活,這就是所謂的「更年期陰道炎」。其他的更年期生理變化,如尿失禁,子宮脫垂和頻尿的現象,或是熱潮紅、心悸這些症狀,也會造成性生活的障礙。 周輝政醫師說明,有些報導提到威而剛可以增加女性性器官的血流,提昇性慾。但是對於更年期的婦女而言,由於荷爾蒙的缺乏,不但皮膚黏膜萎縮,底下的血管也成為涓涓細流,在此情況之下,威而剛能夠發揮多少火力,相當令人懷疑。 (節錄)更新日期:2008/08/15 09:32 uho編輯部  
病毒也會「生病」
2008-08-08 00:00:00 作者:汪威達 分類:健康專區
病毒也會「生病」 證明是生物    病毒到底算不算是「生物」?這個問題生物學界爭議數十年尚無定論,關鍵在於病毒不像一般生物,無法「獨立」進行新陳代謝與繁殖後代。然而病毒也有基因,也會演化,似乎又具備生物的基本條件。  主張病毒屬於生物的學者近來軍心大振,因為有一個「大塊頭」出面力挺:法國 學者發現一種「大型擬菌病毒」(mamavirus),體型遠大於一般病毒,且居然會「生病」,被一種「噬病毒病毒」(virophage)感染。  研究論文刊於最新一期的英國《自然》周刊,作者之一法國國家科學研究中心(CNRS)學者克拉維希說:「病毒當然是生物,它會生病的事實更強化了這個信念。」  克拉維希的同事哈烏在二○○三年研究一種先前被歸類為細菌的生物「Acanthamoeba polyphaga」,發現它屬於病毒,只是體型遠大於同儕,擁有九百多個會調控蛋白質的基因,是先前已知最大病毒的三倍,甚至傲視許多細菌,因此被歸類為「擬菌病毒」(mimivirus)。  後來哈烏又發現體型更勝一籌的大型擬菌病毒,並連帶找到一種只有廿一個基因的新病毒,兩者關係有如地球與繞地人造衛星,因此後者被暱稱為「史潑尼克」(Sputnik,史上第一顆人造衛星)。當大型擬菌病毒侵入阿米巴原蟲建立「病毒工廠」,史潑尼克會伺機而動接管工廠,生產自家的基因物質,讓大型擬菌病毒欲振乏力,可視為一種「噬病毒病毒」。  史潑尼克像寄生蟲一樣,以大型擬菌病毒為宿主,而且有三個基因很可能是攫取自宿主,顯示它能夠在病毒之間橫向傳遞基因,一如「噬菌病毒」傳遞細菌的基因。哈烏相信巨型病毒與噬病毒病毒普遍存在海洋浮游生物體內,對海洋營養循環相當重要。更新日期:2008/08/08 09:20 【中國時報 閻紀宇�綜合報導】   原文 'Virophage' suggests viruses are alive Evidence of illness enhances case for life. Helen Pearson Giant mamavirus particles (red) and satellite viruses of mamavirus called Sputnik (green).REF. 1 The discovery of a giant virus that falls ill through infection by another virus1 is fuelling the debate about whether viruses are alive. “There’s no doubt this is a living organism,” says Jean-Michel Claverie, a virologist at the the CNRS UPR laboratories in Marseilles, part of France’s basic-research agency. “The fact that it can get sick makes it more alive.” Giant viruses have been captivating virologists since 2003, when a team led by Claverie and Didier Raoult at CNRS UMR, also in Marseilles, reported the discovery of the first monster2. The virus had been isolated more than a decade earlier in amoebae from a cooling tower in Bradford, UK, but was initially mistaken for a bacterium because of its size, and was relegated to the freezer. Closer inspection showed the microbe to be a huge virus with, as later work revealed, a genome harbouring more than 900 protein-coding genes3 — at least three times more than that of the biggest previously known viruses and bigger than that of some bacteria. It was named Acanthamoeba polyphaga mimivirus (for mimicking microbe), and is thought to be part of a much larger family. “It was the cause of great excitement in virology,” says Eugene Koonin at the National Center for Biotechnology Information in Bethesda, Maryland. “It crossed the imaginary boundary between viruses and cellular organisms.” “There's no doubt that this is a living organism. The fact that it can get sick makes it more alive.” Now Raoult, Koonin and their colleagues report the isolation of a new strain of giant virus from a cooling tower in Paris, which they have named mamavirus because it seemed slightly larger than mimivirus. Their electron microscopy studies also revealed a second, small virus closely associated with mamavirus that has earned the name Sputnik, after the first man-made satellite. With just 21 genes, Sputnik is tiny compared with its mama — but insidious. When the giant mamavirus infects an amoeba, it uses its large array of genes to build a ‘viral factory’, a hub where new viral particles are made. Sputnik infects this viral factory and seems to hijack its machinery in order to replicate. The team found that cells co-infected with Sputnik produce fewer and often deformed mamavirus particles, making the virus less infective. This suggests that Sputnik is effectively a viral parasite that sickens its host — seemingly the first such example. The team suggests that Sputnik is a ‘virophage’, much like the bacteriophage viruses that infect and sicken bacteria. “It infects this factory like a phage infects a bacterium,” Koonin says. “It’s doing what every parasite can — exploiting its host for its own replication.” Sputnik’s genome reveals further insight into its biology. Although 13 of its genes show little similarity to any other known genes, three are closely related to mimivirus and mamavirus genes, perhaps cannibalized by the tiny virus as it packaged up particles sometime in its history. This suggests that the satellite virus could perform horizontal gene transfer between viruses — paralleling the way that bacteriophages ferry genes between bacteria. Virophages may be common in plankton blooms.J. SCHMALTZ/NASA The findings may have global implications, according to some virologists. A metagenomic study of ocean water4 has revealed an abundance of genetic sequences closely related to giant viruses, leading to a suspicion that they are a common parasite of plankton. These viruses had been missed for many years, Claverie says, because the filters used to remove bacteria screened out giant viruses as well. Raoult’s team also found genes related to Sputnik’s in an ocean-sampling data set, so this could be the first of a new, common family of viruses. “It suggests there are other representatives of this viral family out there in the environment,” Koonin says. By regulating the growth and death of plankton, giant viruses — and satellite viruses such as Sputnik — could be having major effects on ocean nutrient cycles and climate. “These viruses could be major players in global systems,” says Curtis Suttle, an expert in marine viruses at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. “I think ultimately we will find a huge number of novel viruses in the ocean and other places,” Suttle says — 70% of viral genes identified in ocean surveys have never been seen before. “It emphasizes how little is known about these organisms — and I use that term deliberately.”
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