Green tea compound may be a therapy for people with rheumatoid arthritis
绿茶中的成分可治疗类风湿关节炎

A new study from the University of Michigan Health System suggests that a compound in green tea may provide therapeutic benefits to people with rheumatoid arthritis.
密歇根大学卫生系统的一项新的研究表明，绿茶中的一种成分有可能治疗类风湿关节炎。

The study, presented April 29 at the Experimental Biology 2007 in Washington, D.C., looks at a potent anti-inflammatory compound derived from green tea. Researchers found that the compound -- called EGCG -- inhibited the production of several molecules in the immune system that contribute to inflammation and joint damage in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
该研究对来自绿茶的一种有效抗炎成分进行了研究，在4月29日在华盛顿特区召开的“2007年实验生物学大会”上报告了该研究结果。研究人员发现，这种称为表EGCG的成分，可抑制类风湿关节炎患者免疫系统中参与炎性和关节损伤的多种分子的产生。

The compound from green tea also was found to suppress the inflammatory products in the connective tissue of people with rheumatoid arthritis.
这种来自绿茶的成分还可抑制类风湿关节炎患者结缔组织中的炎性成分。

"Our research is a very promising step in the search for therapies for the joint destruction experienced by people who have rheumatoid arthritis," says Salah-uddin Ahmed, Ph.D., lead researcher on the study. Ahmed, a research investigator with the Division of Rheumatology at the U-M Health System, was selected to present the research at the Experimental Biology meeting as the recipient of the Young Scientist Travel Award, given by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. This study was also selected by the American Society for Nutrition to be featured in a press release.
“对于探讨类风湿性关节炎患者关节损伤的治疗来说，我们的研究是非常有前途的进展。”该研究首席研究员Salah-uddin Ahmed博士说道。Ahmed是密歇根大学卫生系统类风湿病学系的研究员，这次作为美国药理和实验治疗学学会授予的“青年科学家旅行奖”获得者，被遴选在“实验生物学大会”上做研究报告。该研究还被美国营养学会选登在一篇新闻稿件中。

To conduct the research, the scientists isolated cells called synovial fibroblasts from the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. These fibroblasts -- cells that form a lining of the tissue surrounding the capsule of the joints -- then were cultured in a growth medium and incubated with the green tea compound.
在该研究过程中，研究人员从类风湿性关节炎患者关节中分离了滑膜成纤维细胞，然后在生长培养液中培养和应用该绿茶成分进行孵育。

The fibroblasts were then stimulated with pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1b, a protein of the immune system known to play an important role in causing joint destruction in people with rheumatoid arthritis.
然后应用促炎性细胞因子IL-1b刺激成纤维细胞，IL-1b作为免疫系统蛋白，是造成类风湿关节炎患者关节破坏的主要成分。

The researchers looked at whether the green tea compound has the capability to block the activity of two potent molecules, IL-6 and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), which also are actively involved in causing bone erosion in the joints of people with rheumatoid arthritis.
研究人员考察了该绿茶成分是否具有阻断IL-6和环氧化酶-2（COX-2）活性的作用，该两种成分与类风湿关节炎患者骨侵蚀有密切的关系。

When untreated cells were stimulated with IL-1b, a sequence of molecular events occurred that resulted in production of the bone-destructive molecules. But the scientists found that pre-incubation with EGCG was capable of inhibiting the production of these molecules. EGCG also inhibited the production of prostaglandin E2, a hormone-like substance that causes inflammation in the joints.
当未处理的细胞经IL-1b刺激后，导致骨破坏性分子的产生。但科学家发现，细胞预先与EGCG孵育，可抑制这些分子的产生。EGCG还可抑制导致关节炎症的激素样物质—前列腺素E2的产生。

The cell signaling pathways that regulate levels of these immune system molecules under both normal and rheumatoid arthritis situations are well studied, and the researchers were able to trace the effects of the green tea compound infusion to see that it worked by inhibiting these pathways.
正常和类风湿性关节炎状态下这些免疫系统分子水平调节的细胞信号途径已非常清楚，研究人员能够探索该绿茶成分的作用是通过抑制这些途径来实现的。

Ahmed says that these studies suggest that EGCG or molecules that could be derived synthetically from the EGCG found in green tea may be of therapeutic value by inhibiting the joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis.
Ahmed称，这些研究表明，绿茶中的EGCG或EGCG合成衍生物在抑制类风湿关节炎关节破坏方面可能具有治疗价值。

Previously, Ahmed and other researchers made another promising finding when EGCG-pretreated synovial fibroblasts were stimulated with the cytokine IL-1b to study the protective effect of this green tea compound. Compared to untreated synovial fibroblasts, the cells treated with EGCG markedly blocked the ability of IL-1b to produce the proteins and enzymes that infiltrate the joints of persons with rheumatoid arthritis and cause cartilage degradation.
此前，Ahmed以及其他研究人员另外一个有价值的发现是，应用IL-1b刺激EGCG预处理的滑膜成纤维细胞来研究该绿茶成分的保护作用。与未处理的滑膜成纤维细胞相比，EGCG处理的细胞明显地阻断IL-1b产生某些蛋白和酶的能力，而这些蛋白和酶可渗透进入类风湿性关节炎患者的关节从而导致软骨退变。

The laboratory now is focused on the inhibitory role of EGCG in gene expression. The scientists plan to test EGCG in animal models of rheumatoid arthritis to see if it provides similar therapeutic or preventive effects. Ahmed believes that the outcome of these studies will form a strong foundation for future testing of green tea compound in humans with rheumatoid arthritis.
该实验室目前致力于EGCG对基因表达抑制作用的研究。科学家计划应用类风湿性关节炎动物模型来测试EGCG是否也具有类似治疗和预防作用。Ahmed相信，这些实验结果将为未来在类风湿关节炎患者身上进行该绿茶成分的研究提供坚实的基础。