澳大利亚科研人员研究发现增厚包皮角蛋白可防止艾滋病毒侵入。

来自墨尔本大学的几名科研人员发现，利用雌激素增厚男子包皮的角蛋白，可以防止男子感染艾滋病毒。这是人们首次发现这种阻断艾滋病毒传染的办法。根据这份研究报告，包皮的角蛋白是阻止病毒传染的一个保护层，因而，增厚角蛋白将有助于阻止病毒的侵入。

墨尔本大学动物系帕士克博士在对12个男子包皮进行了细胞组织分析后发现，其上皮细胞中含有丰富的雌激素接受体。随后，他对包皮进行了注入雌激素的试验。两周后，他发现这些包皮的角蛋白层显著增厚。

负责这项研究的首席研究员肖特教授说，使用自然的雌激素将能强化角蛋白的保护作用。他说，这种新发现的方法将有可能阻止艾滋病毒感染男生殖器，目前，世界上有4000多万人感染艾滋病毒，而且在不行割礼的地方仍有明显上升的趋势。因而，在那些不会因为宗教或文化而要做割礼的地方，使用雌激素疗法将能有效地防止艾滋病毒的传染。

原始出处：

 

PLoS ONE，doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002308，Andrew J. Pask，Roger V. Short



Topical Oestrogen Keratinises The Human Foreskin and May Help Prevent HIV Infection

Andrew J. Pask, Kerry J. McInnes, David R. Webb,, Roger V. Short

1 Department of Zoology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia2 Prince Henry's Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, Victoria, Australia3 Department of Surgery, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia4 Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia5 The Dean's Ganglion, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Abstract

With the growing incidence of HIV, there is a desperate need to develop simple, cheap and effective new ways of preventing HIV infection. Male circumcision reduces the risk of infection by about 60%, probably because of the removal of the Langerhans cells which are abundant in the inner foreskin and are the primary route by which HIV enters the penis. Langerhans cells form a vital part of the body's natural defence against HIV and only cause infection when they are exposed to high levels of HIV virions. Rather than removing this natural defence mechanism by circumcision, it may be better to enhance it by thickening the layer of keratin overlying the Langerhans cells, thereby reducing the viral load to which they are exposed. We have investigated the ability of topically administered oestrogen to induce keratinization of the epithelium of the inner foreskin. Histochemically, the whole of the foreskin is richly supplied with oestrogen receptors. The epithelium of the inner foreskin, like the vagina, responds within 24 hours to the topical administration of oestriol by keratinization, and the response persists for at least 5 days after the cessation of the treatment. Oestriol, a cheap, readily available natural oestrogen metabolite, rapidly keratinizes the inner foreskin, the site of HIV entry into the penis. This thickening of the overlying protective layer of keratin should reduce the exposure of the underlying Langerhans cells to HIV virions. This simple treatment could become an adjunct or alternative to surgical circumcision for reducing the incidence of HIV infection in men.