A new study in mice showed that high doses of cocaine causes autophagy (a process in which brain cells eat themselves) to spin out of control. One researcher described it like this: “A cell is like a household that is constantly generating trash. Autophagy is the housekeeper that takes out the trash—it’s usually a good thing. But cocaine makes the housekeeper throw away really important things, like mitochondria, which produce energy for the cell.”

The Guardian tell us more at https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jan/18/high-cocaine-doses-can-cause-brain-to-eat-itself

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一項以老鼠作實的最新研究示,高劑量的可卡因會導致自噬(一個大腦細胞自我吞噬的過程) 失控。一個研究人員這樣形容失控過程:「細胞就如一個會不斷產生垃圾的家居,噬通常是一件好事,就如家居助理幫我們清理家中垃圾一樣。但可卡因會令家居助理把真正重要的東西都一同抛棄掉,這些重要的東西包括為細胞提供能量的線粒體。」

了解更多,可參閱The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2016/jan/18/high-cocaine-doses-can-cause-brain-to-eat-itself