A step towards a pill for men?
向男性避孕药更进一步?
How often does locker-room talk involve nuanced discussion of the various types of contraceptives available, and the merits and difficulties associated with them all?
在换衣室中过细议论种种避孕方法,以及这些避孕方法优缺陷的频率有多高?
In women's locker rooms, the answer is "surprisingly frequently".
在女换衣室,答案是“议论十分频仍”。
In men's, "hardly ever".
而在男换衣室,“简直从不议论”。
Contraception has long been an overwhelmingly female issue.
临时以来,避孕不断是“当之无愧”的女性话题。
At least in part, that is because men have little to discuss.
在肯定水平上,这是由于男性简直没有什么可讨论的。
Their choice is between condoms and vasectomy.
他们的选择不是避孕套便是输精管结扎术。
Women, by contrast, may pick from a range which includes the Pill, vaginal rings, copper intrauterine devices, hormonal intrauterine devices, contraceptive sponges, cervical caps, spermicides, diaphragms, female condoms and tubal ligation.
相比之下,女性的选择包罗避孕药、阴道避孕环、铜质宫内节育器、含孕激素宫内节育器、避孕海绵、子宫帽、杀精剂、避孕膜、女用平安套和输卵管结扎术。
For decades, therefore, researchers have hunted for ways to level the playing field by extending men's options.
因而,几十年来,研讨职员不断在寻觅为男性提供更多选择,以完成公道竞争的办法。
But none of the resulting injections, gels and hormonal pills has so far advanced beyond clinical trials.
但到现在为止,研讨的一切注射类药物、凝胶和荷尔蒙药物都没能经过临床实验。
Jochen Buck and Lonny Levin, who work at Weill Cornell Medicine, in New York, have now entered a new runner into the race.
约亨·巴克和朗尼·莱文在纽约威尔·康奈尔医学院任务,如今,他们找到了一名新的参赛者。
Their candidate, rather than requiring the consistent and long-term application associated with pills and gels, is fast-acting and temporary.
这名参赛者不像药丸和凝胶一样提供临时继续性结果,而是敏捷、长久地起作用。
In a paper published in Nature Communications they show that, in mice at least, it works within half an hour, rendering the animals temporarily infertile by stopping their sperm swimming, but with no perceptible changes in their behaviour or sexual performance.
他们在宣布于《天然-通讯》上的论文中表现,在小鼠身上停止实验后发明,药物在半小时内起效,经过制止精子挪动而使植物临时不育,同时植物的举动或性体现没有分明的变革。
Importantly, within a day, their fertility returns.
紧张的是,小鼠在一天之内就能规复生养功用。
The substance concerned, TDI-11861, belongs to a class of molecules called soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) inhibitors.
这种名为TDI-11861的物质属于可溶性腺苷酸环化酶(sAC)克制剂。
SAC itself is found in nearly every body cell.
sAC自身简直存在于一切的体细胞中。
It is a source of a messenger molecule called cAMP, and its activity is regulated by bicarbonate ions.
它是一种名为cAMP的信使分子的泉源,其运动遭到碳酸氢根离子的调理。
A preponderance of those ions speeds up the rate at which sAC produces camp.
少量离子可以放慢sAC发生cAMP的速率。
A dearth slows it down.
而离子的增加会减缓cAMP发生的速率。