Space Medicine & Medical Engineering  1999;12(4):235-239

Biochemical Changes of Plasma in Paratroops after Parachuting:A Preliminary Investigation

Tangchun WU ; Yili XIONG ; Sheng CHEN ; Shuntang LENG ; Tao HAI ; M.tanguay ROBERT

Keywords

parachutists; parachuting; stress(physiology); hormones; HSP70; malondialdehyde

Country

China

Language

Chinese

Abstract

Objective To study whether physiological and psychological stresses during parachuting jumps may result in biochemical changes of plasma in parachutists. Method Differences in the levels of hormones (cortisol, growth hormone, insulin, pancreatic glucagon, endothelin, angiotonin I and II, aldosterone), activities of enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione S transferase), levels of the free radical damage indicator malondialdehyde (MDA), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and the main heat stress protein, HSP70,in the plasma and serum were investigated in control (non-parachuting) and parachuting paratroops. Result Significantly higher levels of serum hormones such as growth hormone, insulin, angiotonin I, renin activities, as well as MDA and plasma TNF-α and HSP70 were observed in the parachuting group. Conclusion Whether these changes can potentially serve as useful biomarkers to assess possible abnormal stress in parachutists and to evaluate the health condition and to select parachutists remains to be further studied.