Battery is composed of seven tests: Profile of Mood States Test, Simple Reaction Time Test,
Digit Span Test, Santa Ana Manual Dextrity Test, Digit Symbol Test, Benton Visual Retention
Test, and Pursuit Aiming II Test. Results: The Profile of Mood States Test showed that with an
increase in elevation, anxiety, melancholy, anger, fatigue, and perplexity increased significantly.
Physical vigor decreased significantly. Simple Reaction Time Test showed that their equal
reaction time, fast reaction time, and slow reaction time were decreased significantly. The Digit
Span Test showed that hearing and memory were decreased significantly. Santa Ana Manual
Dextrity Test showed that manual dextrity decreased significantly. Scores on the Digit Symbol
Test decreased significantly. Benton Visual Retention scores were reduced significantly. Pursuit
Aiming II Test showed psychological movement was significantly reduced. Meanwhile,
electrocardiogram and physiological parameters were also tested, and showed palpitation and an
increased P Voltage at the higher altitudes. Right ventricle superiority changes and ventilation
levels were significantly decreased. Oxygen saturation decreased as oxygen consumption
increased at the higher altitudes. Conclusion: The psychological and physiological functioning of
drivers are affected by hypoxia.
82.
EFFECTS OF BETA ENDORPHIN ON IMMUNE FUNCTION OF RATS DURING ACUTE
HYPOXIA. Jia Hong-Wei
1
, Du Ji-Zeng
2
, Bai Hai-Bo
2
. Qinghai Entry-Exit Inspection and
Quarantine Bureau; Xining,China.
1
, Division of Neurobiology and Physiology, College of
Sciences (Yuquan Campus), Zhejiang University, H
2
.
Opioid peptides play important roles in immune function changes caused by various kinds of
stress, and these effects are regulated by the neuroendocrine system. In order to investigate the
role of b-endorphin in the regulation of immune function of rats during acute hypoxia, we
observed the effects of b-endorphin on ConA-induced splenic T-lymphocyte proliferation and
SRBC-sensitized hemolysin formation and the neuroendocrine mechanisms involved in the
immune response to hypoxia stress. It was found that after exposure to 7 km of altitude in the
hypobaric chamber for 24 h, both T-lymphocyte proliferation and the hemolysin-forming capacity
of SRBC-sensitized rats were reduced significantly. In addition, adrenal corticosterone levels and
plasma norepinephrine levels increased noticeably compared with the control group (altitude of
2.3 km) (p<0.05). Similar suppressive effects on immune function could be found after
intracerebroventricular (icv) injection of beta?-endorphin (0.01 nmol, 4 ml ). Corticosterone levels
in adrenal and norepinephrine levels in plasma increased significantly compared with the hypoxia
group (P< 0.05) after icv administration of b-endorphin (0.01 nmol, 4ml) during 7 km hypoxia for
24 h. Pretreatment with icv injection of naltrexone (NTX 1 mg/kg) partly blocked the
immunosuppressive effects of acute hypoxia . NTX itself did not change the immune response.
The increasing adrenal corticosterone levels and plasma norepinephrine levels were, in part,
blocked as well. All the findings above suggested that _beta-endorphin modulates the immune
response to acute hypoxia stress by neuroendocrine mechanisms. Adrenal-dependent mechanisms
and the activation of the sympathetic nervous system may be the possible pathways for b-
endorphin regulating immune function.
83.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY ON THE ANTI-HYPOXIA EFFECTS OF SILVERWEED
CINQUEFOIL ROOT IN RATS. Liu Hong-Xing
1
, Jia Shou-Ning
1
, Kong Xiang-Ming
1
, Li
Sheng-Hong
1
, Qi Hai-Xun
1
. QingHai Provincial Hospital Of Traditional Chinese Medicine,
Xining, Qinghai, P.R.China
1
.
Silverweed cinquefoil root is the dried earthnut of Potentilla Anserina L, which is a plant in
the rose family. This study evaluated the anti-hypoxia effects of the Silverweed cinquefoil root.
Methods and Results: a) Acute hypobaric hypoxia test: Forty five rats were randomly assigned to
one of three groups (control, high dose treatment and low dose treatment). After treatment with
Silverweed cinquefoil root liquid extract, each rat was placed into a vacuum evaporation box in
which the air pressure was decreased gradually by vacuum pump until equivalent to that of
8500m altitude. The vacuum box was then opened. The mortality rate for each group was then
