American research shows that sulforaphane helps the lungs clear bacteria

Experiments in humans and mice by US researchers have shown that sulforaphane, rich in cruciferous plants, helps the lungs clear harmful bacteria Sulforaphane can activate a signal channel called Nrf2, researchers from Johns Hopkins University reported Wednesday Once the signal channel fails to work, human macrophages will not be able to remove dead cells and foreign bacteria from the lungs, so that the lungs cannot be kept clean, leading to infection Macrophages in smokers and patients with COPD (COPD) have lost this cleaning function The researchers first exposed the macrophages of 43 patients with COPD to two bacterial environments In one environment, the macrophages could not play the role of "scavengers"; in the other environment, after the macrophages were treated with sulforaphane, the Nrf2 channel was activated, and the macrophages' ability to distinguish and phagocytize bacteria was also repaired The researchers then bred two groups of mice that were exposed to smoking for one week and six months, and their lung bacteria began to increase, similar to the symptoms of people with COPD After treatment of mice with sulforaphane, the bacteria in their lungs began to be gradually cleaned up The researchers found that sulforaphane did not seem to stimulate mice to produce more macrophages, but enhanced the function of existing macrophages The research was published in the American journal Science Translational Medicine on the 13th Researchers have now begun a phase II clinical trial in patients with COPD to see if sulforaphane can improve lung function Sulforaphane is a common antioxidant, which is rich in broccoli, kale and other cruciferous plants.