ARTIFICIAL G-LOAD AND CHEMICAL-CHANGES OF SALIVA

Effectiveness of artificial G load is expected when it is used as a co untermeasure against various bio-medical mishaps which are taking plac e in the micro-gravity environment, and probably more importantly, to prepare re-entry to the earth I-G environment. Regarding the salivary chemical analysis, it has been known that, in case of (experimental) m otion sickness, symptomatic outputs are delivered through the autonomi c nervous system, and changes in salivary chemical components occur. I n this study, accordingly, quantitative analyses of salivary potassium , sodium, chloride and total protein were performed before and after v arious levels of G loads which were produced by our short-radius human centrifuge. When the results were compared, the subjects who failed 6 0 minutes ride exhibited significantly higher post-load levels of pota ssium and sodium than those of successful 60 minutes riders. However, the differences between two groups were less clear in chloride and tot al protein. The result of present study indicates that salivary potass ium and sodium are good indicators to represent autonomic nervous syst em function under the stressful condition produced by an artificial G load.