Journal of Stress Physiology & Biochemistry, Vol. 5, No.
1-2, 2009, pp. 4-15 ISSN 1997-0838
Original Text Copyright (cc) 2009 by Nagabhushan, Venkatesh, Casikar
ORIGINAL
ARTICLE
Data source : Google Scholar
QueryDate : 2016-12-24
Cites : 6
THE OLFACTORY SYSTEM REGULATES ACUTE
MOUNTAIN SICKNESS
Savitha Nagabhushan,1 Thuppil Venkatesh,1
Vidyasagar Casikar2 1 Department of
Biochemistry & Biophysics, St Johns National Academy of Health
Sciences, Sarjapur Road, Bangalore, India. 2 Department of
Neurosurgery, Nepean Hospital, Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. E-mail: vcasikar2007@gmail.com
Received December 4, 2008
ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE:
Hyperventilation is the first response to hypoxia in high altitude
(HA). Our study on rats was designed to establish an integrated
hypothesis to include hyperventilation,
increased activity of hypothalamic- pituitaryadrenocortical axis (HPA)
in response to initial exposure to hypoxia and failure of
adaptation to stress in olfactory bulbectomised rats. METHODS:
Albino rats whose olfactory lobes were removed were subjected to
hypoxia and hypothermic conditions. Blood and urine samples were
collected at various stages to measure
biochemical parameters. Rats whose olfactory systems were intact were
used as controls. RESULTS:
The results suggested that the olfactory system regulated pituitary
function and that in rats whose olfactory lobes were removed failed to
adapt to the stress created by hypoxia and
hypothermia. CONCLUSIONS:
Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS) is a type of stress. Normal rats when
subjected to stress such as AMS are able to adapt. This adaptation is
lost when the olfactory bulbs are removed.
It is postulated that serotonin receptors in the hypothalamus, through
the splanchnic pathway regulate stress.
This mechanism is independent of ACTH – Cortisol feed back system.
Perhaps irregular and rapid respiratory
rhythm simulates physiological Olfactory Bulbectomy during rapid
climbing and AMS manifests as a failure of
stress adaptation.
