PubMed Health⌕ Search

PubMed · 6102021

Intermittent high altitude hypoxia.

Abstract

The effect of intermittent high altitude (IHA) hypoxia on the myocardium and lesser circulation was investigated in adult male Wistar rats. IHA can induce intermittent pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular hypertrophy in a relatively short time. Even marked pulmonary hypertension, right ventricular hypertrophy, and pulmonary vascular changes can be normalized when rats are removed from the hypoxic atmosphere. At the beginning of the exposure to IHA acute myocardial necrotic changes were found; prolongation of IHA did not lead to further acute lesions. Experimentally induced CO polycythemia leads to mild pulmonary hypertension; IHA-induced pulmonary hypertension may, thus, be partly due to polycythemia. Beta blocking agents are able to decrease chronic hypoxic pulmonary hypertension, hypertensive changes in the pulmonary circulation, the degree of right ventricular hypertrophy, and necrotic myocardial changes.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

J Widimsky, B Ostádal, D Urbanová, J Ressl, J Procházka, V Pelouch. 1980. Intermittent high altitude hypoxia.. https://doi.org/10.1378/chest.77.3.383

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

Excessive erythrocytosis in adult mice overexpressing erythropoietin leads to hepatic, renal, neuronal, and muscular degeneration.

To investigate the consequences of inborn excessive erythrocytosis, we made use of our transgenic mouse line (tg6) that constitutively overexpresses erythropoietin (Epo) in a hypoxia-independent manner, thereby reaching hematocrit levels of up to 0.89. We detected expression of human Epo in the brain and, to a lesser extent, in the lung but not in the heart, kidney, or liver of tg6 mice. Although no acute cardiovascular complications are observed, tg6 animals have a reduced lifespan. Decreased swim performance was observed in 5-mo-old tg6 mice. At about 7 mo, several tg6 animals developed spastic contractions of the hindlimbs followed by paralysis. Morphological analysis by light and electron microscopy showed degenerative processes in liver and kidney characterized by increased vascular permeability, chronic progressive inflammation, hemosiderin deposition, and general vasodilatation. Moreover, most of the animals showed severe nerve fiber degeneration of the sciatic nerve, decreased number of neuromuscular junctions, and degeneration of skeletal muscle fibers. Most probably, the developing demyelinating neuropathy resulted in muscular degeneration demonstrated in the extensor digitorum longus muscle. Taken together, chronically increased Epo levels inducing excessive erythrocytosis leads to multiple organ degeneration and reduced life expectancy. This model allows investigation of the impact of excessive erythrocytosis in individuals suffering from polycythemia vera, chronic mountain sickness, or in subjects tempted to abuse Epo by means of gene doping.

Altitude Sickness↗