The serum thyroid hormone and plasma catecholamine were examined in 18 male and 2 female members of the Chinese Antarctic Expedition (who spent the 2000 or 2001 austral winter at the Great Wall Station) . The changes of serum thyroid hormone i. e. total thyroxine (TT4) and free T4 (FT4) , total triodothyronine (TT3) and freeT3 ( FT3 ) , thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and plasma catecholamine, including norepinephrine (NE) , epinephrine (E) and dopamine (DA), were investigated by Chemoluminescence Immunoassay (CLIA) and High Performance Liquid Chromatography with electrochemical detection (HPLC-ECD) . Samples were taken at different time; (1)1 day before departure to Antarctica (16th expedition 1999/12/ 09; 17th expedition 2000/12/06). (2) 1 day after returned to China after living 54 weeks in Antarctica (16th expedition 2000/12/25 ; 17th expedition 2001/12/25 ). Comparing the data of before departure and returned, results showed that there was a significant decrease in the contents of TT4 (P <0. 01) with no significant change in the content of TT3 , FT3 and FT4. It was also found that the content of TSH increased significantly (P <0. 001) ; No significant changes of plasma NE and DA were found but the content of E decreased significantly ( P < 0. 001) . The results indicated that the special Antarctic environment led to a restrain effect on the thyroid function and the level of plasma E in Antarctic expedition members. Both the thyroid and adrenal medulla system were associated in response to the Antarctic systemic stress.