Anti-Fatigue Effects of Methazolamide in High- Altitude Hypoxic Mice

Purpose: To investigate the anti-fatigue property of methazolamide (MTZ) in high-altitude anoxic mice. Methods: Mice fatigued by high-altitude hypoxia were housed in a hypobaric chamber (equivalent to a low pressure chamber of 5000 m altitude) for 10 consecutive days. The anti-fatigue property of MTZ was evaluated by exhaustive swimming test, determination of blood concentration of lactic acid and sugar as well as blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and liver glycogen. Results: Our findings indicate that the administration of MTZ can prolong swimming capacity time and improve exercise tolerance as well as increase the content of liver glycogen, reduce the level of lactic acid in muscles, when compared with anoxic control group. MTZ also delayed the accumulation of BUN, compared with anoxic control. Conclusion: The results show that MTZ has anti-fatigue effects in mice, and further suggest that it is a potential novel remedy for fatigue due to high-altitude hypoxia.