Objective: To investigate the antimotion sickness effects of ginsenosides combined with dexamethasone in rats. Methods: Fifty SD rats were randomly divided into 5 groups: normal saline, scopolamine-treated, ginsenosides-treated, dexamethasone-treated and ginsenosides plus dexamethasone-treated groups. There were 10 rats in each group. The rats in each group were fed with corresponding ingredients respectively, and then the rats were exposed to abnormal acceleration for one hour. The motion sickness index, the level of kaolin consumption and the course and time of spontaneous activity were observed. Results: The motion sickness index and the level of kaolin consumption of acceleration-exposed rats in ginsenosides plus dexamethasone-treated group were significantly lower than those in normal saline group. And the course and time of spontaneous activity of acceleration-exposed rats in ginsenosides plus dexamethasone-treated group were significantly higher than those in normal saline group. The level of body weight increment of acceleration-exposed rats in ginsenosides plus dexamethasone-treated group was significantly higher than that in dexamethasone-treated group. Conclusion: Ginsenosides combined with dexamethasone can significantly increase tolerance to acceleration of rats, and the drug combination can decrease side effects of methylprednisolone, such as body weight loss.

Objective: To investigate the relationships between constitutional types of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and motion sickness. Methods: A survey of TCM constitutions in ocean sailors participating in a voyage was performed by using the TCM Constitution Questionnaire developed by Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, while the survey of motion sickness was operated by Graybiel's diagnostic criteria. The incidences of motion sickness among sailors with different types of constitutions were compared. Results: Prior to the voyage, 50.3% of sailors exhibited a gentleness constitution, 14.5% were of dampness-heat constitution, 10.3% were of qi-stagnation constitution, whereas the percentages of qi-deficiency, yang-deficiency, yin-deficiency, blood-stasis and special diathesis constitutions were 6.2%, 7.6%, 6.2%, 4.1% and 0.7%, respectively. None exhibited a phlegm-dampness constitution. By the end of the 176-day voyage, the percentages of gentleness, dampness-heat, qi-depression, qi-deficiency, yang-deficiency, yin-deficiency, blood-stasis, special diathesis and phlegm-dampness constitutions were 33.8%, 13.8%, 13.1%, 11.0%, 6.9%, 9.7%, 4.1%, 0.7% and 6.9%, respectively. The incidence of motion sickness was 69.7% (101 sailors) during this voyage. The incidences of motion sickness among sailors with different types of constitutions before the voyage showed significant difference (P<0.001). The incidence of motion sickness was higher in the sailors with dampness-heat constitution than in those with gentleness constitution. Conclusion: Types of Chinese medical constitution can be related to susceptibility to motion sickness. Furthermore, ocean voyage may have an effect or influence on the type of Chinese medical constitution of sailors involved.

Objective To investigate the changes in the levels of human blood nutritious metabolites and its major regulating factors after exposure to abnormal acceleration of sea state,and to provide clues for further investigating the mechanism of fatigue due to maritime operations.Methods Using randomly sampling method,60 healthy male adults from one troop were selected as the subjects on April 20,2010.All subjects were exposed to six degrees of freedom motion simulator ship for 15 min.Their blood samples were collected before and after exposure to abnormal acceleration immediately.The metabolomic technology was used to measure the levels of nutritious metabolites in the serum.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or radioimmunoassay was used to measure the levels of glucocorticoids,adrenaline,insulin,glucagon,ghrelin,resistin,leptin,and gastric inhibitory peptide.Results After exposure to abnormal acceleration,the subjects showed significant decreases in the levels of serum essential amino acids,such as L-lysine [(23.63-±8.24)×106 vs (32.83±13.58)×106,P＜ 0.05],L-methionine[(4.16±1.12)×106 vs (5.80±1.69)×106,P＜0.05],and L-tryptophan[(29.38±8.56)×106 vs (35.93±11.82) ×106,P＜0.05],and the levels of some non-essential amino acids,such as L-histidine [(1.69± 0.55)×106vs (2.16±0.92)×106,P＜0.05] and 4-hydroxy-L-proline [(3.21±1.50)×106vs (7.92±4.79)×106,P＜ 0.05].After exposure to abnormal acceleration,the subjects had significant increases in the levels of serum carbohydrate metabolites,such as glucose [(2412.40±700.36) ×106 vs (1939.30±554.33) × 106,P＜0.05] and pyruvic acid [(9.97±5.96)×106 vs (2.43±1.34)×106,P＜0.05],and the levels of fat metabolites,such as β-hydroxybutyric acid [(37.47±60.21)×106 v.s (10.29±20.64)×106,P＜0.05],oleic acid [(31.94±30.39)×106 vs (15.94±10.37)×106,P＜0.05],and linoleic acid [(26.19±19.16)×106vs (13.58±6.29)×106,P＜0.05].After exposure to abnormal acceleration,the subjects had significant increases in the levels of serum glucocorticoids [(743.63±129.06) nmol/L vs (539.66±155.58) nmol/L,P＜0.05],adrenaline [(725.04±367.08) pmol/L vs (482.58±194.97) pmol/L,P＜0.05],glucagon [(5.85±1.57) pmol/L vs (5.18±1.64) pmol/L,P＜0.05],and ghrelin[(62.55±32.34) pmol/L vs (40.47±22.18) pmol/L,P＜0.05],and decreases in the levels of serum insulin [(107.41±21.09) pmol/L vs(150.89±48.65) pmol/L,P＜0.05],gastric inhibitory peptide[(41.05±17.91) pmol/L vs (170.34±82.64) pmol/L,P＜0.05],leptin [(25.62±21.75) nmol/L vs (46.50±27.40) nmol/L,P＜0.05],and resistin [(209.24±107.65) nmol/L vs (535.04±263.13) nmol/L,P＜0.05].Conclusion After exposure to abnormal acceleration of sea state,the levels of serum nutritious metabolites show significant changes and the levels of fatigue-associated products,such as serum pyruvic acid,increase significantly,which may be related to induced stress response and changes in the levels of metabolic regulators.

Objective To investigate the changes in the levels of human blood nutritious metabolites and its major regulating factors after exposure to abnormal acceleration of sea state,and to provide clues for further investigating the mechanism of fatigue due to maritime operations.Methods Using randomly sampling method,60 healthy male adults from one troop were selected as the subjects on April 20,2010.All subjects were exposed to six degrees of freedom motion simulator ship for 15 min.Their blood samples were collected before and after exposure to abnormal acceleration immediately.The metabolomic technology was used to measure the levels of nutritious metabolites in the serum.Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or radioimmunoassay was used to measure the levels of glucocorticoids,adrenaline,insulin,glucagon,ghrelin,resistin,leptin,and gastric inhibitory peptide.Results After exposure to abnormal acceleration,the subjects showed significant decreases in the levels of serum essential amino acids,such as L-lysine [(23.63-±8.24)×106 vs (32.83±13.58)×106,P＜ 0.05],L-methionine[(4.16±1.12)×106 vs (5.80±1.69)×106,P＜0.05],and L-tryptophan[(29.38±8.56)×106 vs (35.93±11.82) ×106,P＜0.05],and the levels of some non-essential amino acids,such as L-histidine [(1.69± 0.55)×106vs (2.16±0.92)×106,P＜0.05] and 4-hydroxy-L-proline [(3.21±1.50)×106vs (7.92±4.79)×106,P＜ 0.05].After exposure to abnormal acceleration,the subjects had significant increases in the levels of serum carbohydrate metabolites,such as glucose [(2412.40±700.36) ×106 vs (1939.30±554.33) × 106,P＜0.05] and pyruvic acid [(9.97±5.96)×106 vs (2.43±1.34)×106,P＜0.05],and the levels of fat metabolites,such as β-hydroxybutyric acid [(37.47±60.21)×106 v.s (10.29±20.64)×106,P＜0.05],oleic acid [(31.94±30.39)×106 vs (15.94±10.37)×106,P＜0.05],and linoleic acid [(26.19±19.16)×106vs (13.58±6.29)×106,P＜0.05].After exposure to abnormal acceleration,the subjects had significant increases in the levels of serum glucocorticoids [(743.63±129.06) nmol/L vs (539.66±155.58) nmol/L,P＜0.05],adrenaline [(725.04±367.08) pmol/L vs (482.58±194.97) pmol/L,P＜0.05],glucagon [(5.85±1.57) pmol/L vs (5.18±1.64) pmol/L,P＜0.05],and ghrelin[(62.55±32.34) pmol/L vs (40.47±22.18) pmol/L,P＜0.05],and decreases in the levels of serum insulin [(107.41±21.09) pmol/L vs(150.89±48.65) pmol/L,P＜0.05],gastric inhibitory peptide[(41.05±17.91) pmol/L vs (170.34±82.64) pmol/L,P＜0.05],leptin [(25.62±21.75) nmol/L vs (46.50±27.40) nmol/L,P＜0.05],and resistin [(209.24±107.65) nmol/L vs (535.04±263.13) nmol/L,P＜0.05].Conclusion After exposure to abnormal acceleration of sea state,the levels of serum nutritious metabolites show significant changes and the levels of fatigue-associated products,such as serum pyruvic acid,increase significantly,which may be related to induced stress response and changes in the levels of metabolic regulators.