ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the influence of the chronic mountain sickness (chronic mountain sickness, CMS) on Cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) and regulators of cerebrovascular responses. Methods Twenty-six CMS pa?tients and 23 healthy control group using transcranial Doppler ultrasound (Transcranial Doppler Ultrasoiund, TCD) as?sessment of CVR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were applied to measure the serum levels of the endothelin (endo?thelin 1 , ET-1) and its receptor (endothelin receptor B, ETBR), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (endothelial nitric oxide synthase, eNOS) in CMS patients and healthy control. Results CVR (3.84 ± 3.01) was significantly lower in CMS patients than in the healthy control CVR (6.39 ± 6.87) (P <0.05); the serum concentration of ETBR in CMS patients was higher than in control [(386.07±281.57)μg/μL vs.(312.30±238.07)μg/μL] (P<0.05). Conclusions The cerebral circulation re?serve in CMS patients is significantly lower compared with healthy people. The regulation of vascular capacity by serum ET-1 and eNOS is similar between CMS patients and healthy control. The hypoxic vasodilatation in CMS patients is close?ly associated with cerebrovascular high expression of ETBR. This study may provide a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of cerebral infarction in the patients with chronic mountain sicknes.