“Kungani okungenani ungadli izinhlanzi? Inhlanzi ayikabuzwa ubuhlungu.” Abadla imifino abaneminyaka eminingi bebhekana nale mpikiswano ngokuphindaphindiwe. Singaqiniseka yini ukuthi izinhlanzi azizwa ngempela ubuhlungu? Ucwaningo olwenziwe eminyakeni yamuva lukuphikisa ngokuphelele lokhu kukhohlisa okuminyene.
Ngo-2003, ithimba labacwaningi eNyuvesi yase-Edinburgh laqinisekisa ukuthi izinhlanzi zinama-receptors afana nalawo atholakala kwezinye izinhlobo zezilwane, kuhlanganise nezilwane ezincelisayo. Ngaphezu kwalokho, lapho izinto ezinjengoshevu nama-asidi zifakwa emizimbeni yezinhlanzi, zazibonisa ukusabela okwakungekona nje ukukhalipha, kodwa okwakufaniswa nokuziphatha okungabonwa ezidalwa eziphilayo ezithuthuke kakhulu.
Ngonyaka odlule, ososayensi baseMelika nabaseNorway baqhubeka nokutadisha ukuziphatha nokuzwa kwezinhlanzi. Izinhlanzi, njengasocwaningweni lwaseBrithani, zajovwa ngezinto ezibangela ubuhlungu, nokho, iqembu elilodwa lezinhlanzi ngesikhathi esisodwa lajovwa nge-morphine. Izinhlanzi ezine-morphine zaziziphatha ngendlela evamile. Abanye babegaqaza ngokwesaba okomuntu osezinhlungwini.
Asikwazi, okungenani okwamanje, ukusho ngokuqinisekile ukuthi inhlanzi ingabuzwa ubuhlungu ngendlela esiyiqonda ngayo. Nokho, kunobufakazi obuningi bokuthi izinhlanzi ziyizidalwa eziyinkimbinkimbi kunalokho abantu abebezimisele ukukuvuma, futhi akunakungabaza ukuthi kukhona okwenzekayo lapho inhlanzi ibonisa ukuziphatha okubonisa ubuhlungu. Ngakho-ke, uma kuziwa endabeni yonya, isisulu kufanele sinikezwe ithuba lokungabaza.