双语有声阅读:Skinny mice defy obesity 瘦老鼠挑战肥胖

Skinny mice defy obesity¹ 瘦老鼠挑战肥胖

Lean mouse: Hope for the clinically obese²

精瘦的老鼠：肥胖症的希望

Genetically³ engineered mice which never put on weight could hold the key to a fat- free future for humans, say scientists.

Researchers at Smith Kline Beecham and Cambridge University, UK, have developed mice that eat far more than normal but remain leaner and lighter⁴.

The lab rodents⁵ over-produce a human protein which ensures food is turned into heat, rather than stored as fat.

Reporting in the journal Nature, Dr John Clapham and colleagues say their mice make large amounts of Uncoupling Protein 3 (UCP-3) in the mitochondria of their muscle cells.

Mitochondria are often described as the tiny internal combustion⁶ engines of cells. They unlock the energy contained in food to make a chemical fuel called adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

But extra UCP-3 causes the mice to burn off energy without making ATP - their bodies produce more heat instead. This process makes the metabolic⁷ rate of the transgenic mice step up a gear. As a result, they are able to eat large amounts of food yet weigh less than normal mice.

科学家们说，从不增重的转基因老鼠是人类将来摆脱肥胖的钥匙。

Smith Kline Beecham和英国剑桥大学的研究人员培养出一些老鼠，它们超量进食却能保持身体轻瘦。

这些实验室里的啮齿动物超量产生一种人体蛋白质，这种蛋白质保证食物转化成热量而不是以脂肪形式储存。

在《自然》杂志上，约翰－克拉彭博士和他的同事们说，他们培养的这些老鼠在肌肉细胞的线粒体中产生大量解藕连蛋白质3（UCP-3）。

线粒体通常被形容成细胞的微型内燃机。它们将食物中的能量转化成一种叫做三磷酸缐苷(ATP)的化学燃料。

但多余的UCP-3使这些老鼠将能量耗光而不产生ATP－它们的身体产生的是更多的热量。这一过程使这些转基因老鼠新陈代谢加快。结果就是，它们吃大量食物，却比正常老鼠要轻
 

1 obesity   

n.肥胖，肥大

参考例句：

• One effect of overeating may be obesity.吃得过多能导致肥胖。
• Sugar and fat can more easily lead to obesity than some other foods.糖和脂肪比其他食物更容易导致肥胖。

2 obese   

adj.过度肥胖的，肥大的

参考例句：

• The old man is really obese,it can't be healthy.那位老人确实过于肥胖了，不能算是健康。
• Being obese and lazy is dangerous to health.又胖又懒危害健康。

3 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

4 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

5 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

6 combustion   

n.燃烧；氧化；骚动

参考例句：

• We might be tempted to think of combustion.我们也许会联想到氧化。
• The smoke formed by their combustion is negligible.由它燃烧所生成的烟是可忽略的。

7 metabolic   

adj.新陈代谢的

参考例句：

• Impressive metabolic alternations have been undergone during embryogenesis.在胚胎发生期间经历了深刻的代谢变化。
• A number of intoxicants are associated with metabolic acidosis.许多毒性物质可引起代谢性酸中毒。