Scientists have discovered that stress is one factor in turning our hair grey, white or silver - at least, in mice. Stem cell biologists from Harvard University in the USA conducted a series of tests on mice to ascertain the effects of stress on the rodents. The scientists injected the mice with an ingredient found in chili peppers that gives them their heat. The compound made the mice stressed. This caused a hair-colouring pigment in the mice to go into overdrive as a reaction to the stress and deplete colour-regenerating stem cells. This caused the mice's hair to rapidly turn white. Lead researcher, Professor Ya-Chieh Hsu, said: "The detrimental impact of stress that we discovered was beyond what I imagined."
People have wondered for centuries about the link between stress and greying hair. It is believed that France's Queen Marie Antoinette's hair turned white the night before she was beheaded during the French Revolution in the late-eighteenth century. More recently, we have witnessed the locks of presidents and other world leaders quickly lose colour. The strains of leadership seem to go to the roots of things, especially hair follicles. Professor Hsu said the loss of the pigment-regenerating stem cells cannot be reversed. She said: "Once they're gone, you can't regenerate pigment any more. The damage is permanent." Worryingly, she hypothesised that stress could be responsible for accelerating the aging process.
Scientists have discovered that stress is one factor in turning our hair grey, white or silver - at least, in mice.
科学家们发现，压力是导致我们头发变白、变白或变白的一个因素--至少在老鼠身上是这样。
Stem cell biologists from Harvard University in the USA conducted a series of tests on mice to ascertain the effects of stress on the rodents.
美国哈佛大学的干细胞生物学家在老鼠身上进行了一系列测试，以确定压力对啮齿动物的影响。
The scientists injected the mice with an ingredient found in chili peppers that gives them their heat. The compound made the mice stressed.
科学家们给老鼠注射了一种在辣椒中发现的成分，这种成分能给它们提供热量。这种化合物使老鼠感到紧张。
This caused a hair-colouring pigment in the mice to go into overdrive as a reaction to the stress and deplete colour-regenerating stem cells. This caused the mice's hair to rapidly turn white.
这导致老鼠体内的一种毛发色素过度驱动，作为对压力的反应，耗尽了再生颜色的干细胞。这导致老鼠的毛发迅速变白。
Lead researcher, Professor Ya-Chieh Hsu, said: "The detrimental impact of stress that we discovered was beyond what I imagined."
首席研究员许亚杰教授说：“我们发现的压力的有害影响超出了我的想象。”
People have wondered for centuries about the link between stress and greying hair.
几个世纪以来，人们一直想知道压力和白发之间的联系。
It is believed that France's Queen Marie Antoinette's hair turned white the night before she was beheaded during the French Revolution in the late-eighteenth century.
据信，法国女王玛丽·安托瓦内特在18世纪末法国大革命中被斩首的前一天晚上，她的头发变白了。
More recently, we have witnessed the locks of presidents and other world leaders quickly lose colour. The strains of leadership seem to go to the roots of things, especially hair follicles.
最近，我们目睹了总统和其他世界领导人的头发很快失去了颜色。领导的压力似乎是根源，尤其是毛囊。
Professor Hsu said the loss of the pigment-regenerating stem cells cannot be reversed. She said: "Once they're gone, you can't regenerate pigment any more. The damage is permanent." Worryingly, she hypothesised that stress could be responsible for accelerating the aging process.
徐教授说，色素再生干细胞的丧失是无法逆转的。她说：“一旦它们消失了，你就再也不能再生色素了。令人担忧的是，她假设压力可能是加速衰老过程的原因。
