Effects of acceleration exposure on the changes in human serum metabolites, stress-related hormones and gastrointestinal regulatory factors

Objective Metabolomics and radioimmunoassay technologies were used to analyze the effects of acceleration exposure on the levels of human serum metabolites, stress-related hormones and such gastrointestinal regulatory factors as resistin and leptin, so as to provide new scientific evidence for the mechanism of gastrointestinal symptoms in motion sickness. Methods Sixty volunteers were recruited and exposed to abnormal acceleration for 15 minutes by using a 6-degree-of-freedom ship motion simulator. The severity of motion sickness was measured by Graybiel Scale; gas chromatography coupled with time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC-TOF/MS) was used to detect serum metabolites in the human subjects; serum glucocorticoid, adrenaline, arginine vasopressin (AVP), insulin, resistin and leptin were detected by radioimmunoassay and ELISA. Results (1) The incidence of motion sickness was 72%. (2) Acceleration exposure could induce significant changes in the levels of serum metabolites in the subjects, of which glucose and N-dodecanoic acid levels were significantly higher than those before exposure, while L-serine and L-threonine levels were significantly decreased after exposure(P<0.05). (3) Acceleration exposure could cause decrease in the level of serum insulin [ (21.03±6.78) mIU/L before exposure, (14.97±2.94)mIU/L after exposure], and increase in the level of glucagon, glucocorticoid, epinephrine and arginine vasopressin (AVP) [ (18.06±5.72)ng/L, (212.88±61.37)μg/L, (88.41±35.72)ng/L and(10.80±7.30)ng/L before exposure; (20.40±5.48)ng/L, (293.34±50.91)μg/L, (132.83±67.25 )ng/L and(51.35±8.24)ng/L after exposure] respectively(P<0.05 or P<0.001). (4) Acceleration exposure could also decrease the levels of gastric inhibitory peptide (GIP), leptin, resistin, but increase the level of ghrelin [ (170.34±82.64)nmol/L, (744.03±438.46)μg/L, (6687.96±3289.18)μg/L and (136.43±74.75)ng/L before exposure; (41.05±17.91)nmol/L, (409.95±347.95)μg/L, (2615.56±1345.61)μg/L and (210.85±109.01)ng/L after exposure] respectively(P<0.05 or P<0.01). Conclusions Our study indicated that stress could be induced by acceleration exposure, resulting in significant changes in the levels of stress-related hormones and gastrointestinal regulatory factors, as well as serum metabolites. Key words: Motion sickness; Graybiel score; Stress-related hormones; Insulin; Leptin