1
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Gatterer H, Villafuerte FC, Ulrich S, Bhandari SS, Keyes LE, Burtscher M. Altitude illnesses. Nat Rev Dis Primers 2024; 10:43. [PMID: 38902312 DOI: 10.1038/s41572-024-00526-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Millions of people visit high-altitude regions annually and more than 80 million live permanently above 2,500 m. Acute high-altitude exposure can trigger high-altitude illnesses (HAIs), including acute mountain sickness (AMS), high-altitude cerebral oedema (HACE) and high-altitude pulmonary oedema (HAPE). Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) can affect high-altitude resident populations worldwide. The prevalence of acute HAIs varies according to acclimatization status, rate of ascent and individual susceptibility. AMS, characterized by headache, nausea, dizziness and fatigue, is usually benign and self-limiting, and has been linked to hypoxia-induced cerebral blood volume increases, inflammation and related trigeminovascular system activation. Disruption of the blood-brain barrier leads to HACE, characterized by altered mental status and ataxia, and increased pulmonary capillary pressure, and related stress failure induces HAPE, characterized by dyspnoea, cough and exercise intolerance. Both conditions are progressive and life-threatening, requiring immediate medical intervention. Treatment includes supplemental oxygen and descent with appropriate pharmacological therapy. Preventive measures include slow ascent, pre-acclimatization and, in some instances, medications. CMS is characterized by excessive erythrocytosis and related clinical symptoms. In severe CMS, temporary or permanent relocation to low altitude is recommended. Future research should focus on more objective diagnostic tools to enable prompt treatment, improved identification of individual susceptibilities and effective acclimatization and prevention options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannes Gatterer
- Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, Eurac Research, Bolzano, Italy.
- Institute for Sports Medicine, Alpine Medicine and Health Tourism (ISAG), UMIT TIROL-Private University for Health Sciences and Health Technology, Hall in Tirol, Austria.
| | - Francisco C Villafuerte
- Laboratorio de Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígeno y Adaptación a la Altura - LID, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencias e Ingeniería, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - Silvia Ulrich
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sanjeeb S Bhandari
- Mountain Medicine Society of Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal
- Emergency Department, UPMC Western Maryland Health, Cumberland, MD, USA
| | - Linda E Keyes
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Martin Burtscher
- Department of Sport Science, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
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2
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Yu JJ, Non AL, Heinrich EC, Gu W, Alcock J, Moya EA, Lawrence ES, Tift MS, O'Brien KA, Storz JF, Signore AV, Khudyakov JI, Milsom WK, Wilson SM, Beall CM, Villafuerte FC, Stobdan T, Julian CG, Moore LG, Fuster MM, Stokes JA, Milner R, West JB, Zhang J, Shyy JY, Childebayeva A, Vázquez-Medina JP, Pham LV, Mesarwi OA, Hall JE, Cheviron ZA, Sieker J, Blood AB, Yuan JX, Scott GR, Rana BK, Ponganis PJ, Malhotra A, Powell FL, Simonson TS. Time Domains of Hypoxia Responses and -Omics Insights. Front Physiol 2022; 13:885295. [PMID: 36035495 PMCID: PMC9400701 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.885295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to respond rapidly to changes in oxygen tension is critical for many forms of life. Challenges to oxygen homeostasis, specifically in the contexts of evolutionary biology and biomedicine, provide important insights into mechanisms of hypoxia adaptation and tolerance. Here we synthesize findings across varying time domains of hypoxia in terms of oxygen delivery, ranging from early animal to modern human evolution and examine the potential impacts of environmental and clinical challenges through emerging multi-omics approaches. We discuss how diverse animal species have adapted to hypoxic environments, how humans vary in their responses to hypoxia (i.e., in the context of high-altitude exposure, cardiopulmonary disease, and sleep apnea), and how findings from each of these fields inform the other and lead to promising new directions in basic and clinical hypoxia research.
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Affiliation(s)
- James J. Yu
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Amy L. Non
- Department of Anthropology, Division of Social Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Amy L. Non, Tatum S. Simonson,
| | - Erica C. Heinrich
- Division of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine, University of California, Riverside, CA, United States
| | - Wanjun Gu
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Longevity Sciences, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Joe Alcock
- Department of Emergency Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, MX, United States
| | - Esteban A. Moya
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Elijah S. Lawrence
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Michael S. Tift
- Department of Biology and Marine Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States
| | - Katie A. O'Brien
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, Faculty of Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, ENG, United Kingdom
| | - Jay F. Storz
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, IL, United States
| | - Anthony V. Signore
- School of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, IL, United States
| | - Jane I. Khudyakov
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA, United States
| | | | - Sean M. Wilson
- Lawrence D. Longo, MD Center for Perinatal Biology, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | | | | | | | - Colleen G. Julian
- School of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Lorna G. Moore
- Division of Reproductive Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aurora, CO, United States
| | - Mark M. Fuster
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jennifer A. Stokes
- Department of Kinesiology, Southwestern University, Georgetown, TX, United States
| | - Richard Milner
- San Diego Biomedical Research Institute, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - John B. West
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Jiao Zhang
- Department of Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - John Y. Shyy
- Department of Medicine, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Ainash Childebayeva
- Department of Archaeogenetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - José Pablo Vázquez-Medina
- Department of Integrative Biology, College of Letters and Science, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Luu V. Pham
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Omar A. Mesarwi
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - James E. Hall
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Zachary A. Cheviron
- Division of Biological Sciences, College of Humanities and Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, United States
| | - Jeremy Sieker
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Arlin B. Blood
- Department of Pediatrics Division of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Jason X. Yuan
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Graham R. Scott
- Department of Pediatrics Division of Neonatology, School of Medicine, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA, United States
| | - Brinda K. Rana
- Moores Cancer Center, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Paul J. Ponganis
- Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Atul Malhotra
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Frank L. Powell
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Tatum S. Simonson
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Amy L. Non, Tatum S. Simonson,
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3
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Villafuerte FC, Simonson TS, Bermudez D, León-Velarde F. High-Altitude Erythrocytosis: Mechanisms of Adaptive and Maladaptive Responses. Physiology (Bethesda) 2022; 37:0. [PMID: 35001654 PMCID: PMC9191173 DOI: 10.1152/physiol.00029.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Erythrocytosis, or increased production of red blood cells, is one of the most well-documented physiological traits that varies within and among in high-altitude populations. Although a modest increase in blood O2-carrying capacity may be beneficial for life in highland environments, erythrocytosis can also become excessive and lead to maladaptive syndromes such as chronic mountain sickness (CMS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco C. Villafuerte
- 1Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Laboratorio de Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígeno, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - Tatum S. Simonson
- 2Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Daniela Bermudez
- 1Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Laboratorio de Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígeno, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
| | - Fabiola León-Velarde
- 1Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Laboratorio de Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígeno, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Perú
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4
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Heinrich EC, Orr JE, Gilbertson D, Anza-Ramirez C, DeYoung PN, Djokic MA, Corante N, Vizcardo-Galindo G, Macarlupu JL, Gaio E, Powell FL, Malhotra A, Villafuerte FC, Simonson TS. Relationships Between Chemoreflex Responses, Sleep Quality, and Hematocrit in Andean Men and Women. Front Physiol 2020; 11:437. [PMID: 32435207 PMCID: PMC7219107 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Andean highlanders are challenged by chronic hypoxia and many exhibit elevated hematocrit (Hct) and blunted ventilation compared to other high-altitude populations. While many Andeans develop Chronic Mountain Sickness (CMS) and excessive erythrocytosis, Hct varies markedly within Andean men and women and may be driven by individual differences in ventilatory control and/or sleep events which exacerbate hypoxemia. To test this hypothesis, we quantified relationships between resting ventilation and ventilatory chemoreflexes, sleep desaturation, breathing disturbance, and Hct in Andean men and women. Ventilatory measures were made in 109 individuals (n = 63 men; n = 46 women), and sleep measures in 45 of these participants (n = 22 men; n = 23 women). In both men and women, high Hct was associated with low daytime SpO2 (p < 0.001 and p < 0.002, respectively) and decreased sleep SpO2 (mean, nadir, and time <80%; all p < 0.02). In men, high Hct was also associated with increased end-tidal PCO2 (p < 0.009). While ventilatory responses to hypoxia and hypercapnia did not predict Hct, decreased hypoxic ventilatory responses were associated with lower daytime SpO2 in men (p < 0.01) and women (p < 0.009) and with lower nadir sleep SpO2 in women (p < 0.02). Decreased ventilatory responses to CO2 were associated with more time below 80% SpO2 during sleep in men (p < 0.05). The obstructive apnea index and apnea-hypopnea index also predicted Hct and CMS scores in men after accounting for age, BMI, and SpO2 during sleep. Finally, heart rate response to hypoxia was lower in men with higher Hct (p < 0.0001). These data support the idea that hypoventilation and decreased ventilatory sensitivity to hypoxia are associated with decreased day time and nighttime SpO2 levels that may exacerbate the stimulus for erythropoiesis in Andean men and women. However, interventional and longitudinal studies are required to establish the causal relationships between these associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erica C Heinrich
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Jeremy E Orr
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Dillon Gilbertson
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Cecilia Anza-Ramirez
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígen, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Pamela N DeYoung
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Matea A Djokic
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Noemi Corante
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígen, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Gustavo Vizcardo-Galindo
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígen, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Jose L Macarlupu
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígen, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Eduardo Gaio
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | - Frank L Powell
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Atul Malhotra
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Francisco C Villafuerte
- Laboratorio de Fisiología Comparada/Fisiología del Transporte de Oxígen, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Tatum S Simonson
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
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5
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Laouafa S, Elliot-Portal E, Revollo S, Schneider Gasser EM, Joseph V, Voituron N, Gassmann M, Soliz J. Hypercapnic ventilatory response is decreased in a mouse model of excessive erythrocytosis. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2016; 311:R940-R947. [PMID: 27605561 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00226.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2016] [Accepted: 08/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The impact of cerebral erythropoietin (Epo) in the regulation of the hypercapnic ventilatory response (HcVR) is controversial. While we reported that cerebral Epo does not affect the central chemosensitivity in C57Bl6 mice receiving an intracisternal injection of sEpoR (the endogenous antagonist of Epo), a recent study in transgenic mice with constitutive high levels of human Epo in brain and circulation (Tg6) and in brain only (Tg21), showed that Epo blunts the HcVR, maybe by interacting with central and peripheral chemoreceptors. High Epo serum levels in Tg6 mice lead to excessive erythrocytosis (hematocrit ~80-90%), the main symptom of chronic mountain sickness (CMS). These latter results support the hypothesis that reduced central chemosensitivity accounts for the hypoventilation observed in CMS patients. To solve this intriguing divergence, we reevaluate HcVR in Tg6 and Tg21 mouse lines, by assessing the metabolic rate [O consumption (V̇) and CO production (V̇)], a key factor modulating ventilation, the effect of which was not considered in the previous study. Our results showed that the decreased HcVR observed in Tg6 mice (~70% reduction; < 0.01) was due to a significant decrease in the metabolism (~40%; < 0.0001) rather than Epo's effect on CO chemosensitivity. Additional analysis in Tg21 mice did not reveal differences of HcVR or metabolism. We concluded that cerebral Epo does not modulate the central chemosensitivity system, and that a metabolic effect upon CO inhalation is responsible for decreased HcVR observed in Tg6 animals. As CMS patients also show decreased HcVR, our findings might help to better understand respiratory disorders at high altitude.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofien Laouafa
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Pavillon St François d'Assise, Département de Pédiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Elliot-Portal
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Pavillon St François d'Assise, Département de Pédiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Molecular biology and Biotechnology Institute, Universidad Mayor de San Andres, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Susana Revollo
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Pavillon St François d'Assise, Département de Pédiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada.,Molecular biology and Biotechnology Institute, Universidad Mayor de San Andres, La Paz, Bolivia
| | - Edith M Schneider Gasser
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; and
| | - Vincent Joseph
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Pavillon St François d'Assise, Département de Pédiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada
| | - Nicolas Voituron
- Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UFR SMBH, Laboratoire "Hypoxie et poumons," Bobigny, France
| | - Max Gassmann
- Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; and.,Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (UPCH), Lima, Peru
| | - Jorge Soliz
- Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Pavillon St François d'Assise, Département de Pédiatrie, Faculté de Médecine, Université Laval, Québec, QC, Canada;
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6
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Narayan J, Ghildiyal A, Goyal M, Verma D, Singh S, Tiwari S. Cold pressor response in high landers versus low landers. J Clin Diagn Res 2014; 8:BC08-11. [PMID: 25478333 PMCID: PMC4253151 DOI: 10.7860/jcdr/2014/10768.5009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2014] [Accepted: 08/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Native high landers face two main environmental challenges i.e. hypobaric hypoxia and low ambient temperatures. Both factors contribute to increased sympathetic stimulation and increased blood pressure. Despite these challenges, subjects living at high altitude have lower systolic and diastolic pressures as compared to subjects living in plains. Present study investigated cold pressor test (CPT) which is a potential predictor of future hypertension in high landers and low landers Materials and Methods: Vascular reactivity in terms of changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate in response to cold pressor test has been compared in high lander (n=45) and low lander (n=46) population. RESULTS Systolic and diastolic blood pressure changes and heart rate changes with cold pressor test are lower in high landers as compared to low landers. Females in both the groups in general exhibited greater cold pressor response than males. CONCLUSION Hypo-reactive cold pressor test is due to higher parasympathetic tone and lower sympathetic tone. Decreased cold pressor response in high landers reflects another adaptive modulation of sympatho-vagal activity that enables them to stay in hypobaric atmosphere and lower temperatures without undue autonomic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jagdish Narayan
- Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Archana Ghildiyal
- Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Manish Goyal
- Assistant Professor, Department of Physiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Dileep Verma
- Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Shraddha Singh
- Professor, Department of Physiology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sunita Tiwari
- Professor, Department of Physiology, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
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Groepenhoff H, Overbeek MJ, Mulè M, van der Plas M, Argiento P, Villafuerte FC, Beloka S, Faoro V, Macarlupu JL, Guenard H, de Bisschop C, Martinot JB, Vanderpool R, Penaloza D, Naeije R. Exercise Pathophysiology in Patients With Chronic Mountain Sickness. Chest 2012; 142:877-884. [DOI: 10.1378/chest.11-2845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
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8
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Abstract
Large numbers of people travel to high altitudes, entering an environment of hypobaric hypoxia. Exposure to low oxygen tension leads to a series of important physiologic responses that allow individuals to tolerate these hypoxic conditions. However, in some cases hypoxia triggers maladaptive responses that lead to various forms of acute and chronic high altitude illness, such as high-altitude pulmonary edema or chronic mountain sickness. Because the respiratory system plays a critical role in these adaptive and maladaptive responses, patients with underlying lung disease may be at increased risk for complications in this environment and warrant careful evaluation before any planned sojourn to higher altitudes. In this review, we describe respiratory disorders that occur with both acute and chronic exposures to high altitudes. These disorders may occur in any individual who ascends to high altitude, regardless of his/her baseline pulmonary status. We then consider the safety of high-altitude travel in patients with various forms of underlying lung disease. The available data regarding how these patients fare in hypoxic conditions are reviewed, and recommendations are provided for management prior to and during the planned sojourn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua O Stream
- University of Utah, Department of Anesthesiology, 30 North 1900 East, Room 3C444, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
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9
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Abstract
Chronic Mountain Sickness (CMS) is an important high-altitude (HA) pathology in most mountainous regions of the world. Although its most characteristic sign is excessive erytrocytosis (EE), in the more severe stages of the disease, high-altitude pulmonary hypertension (HAPH), with remodeling of pulmonary arterioles and right ventricular enlargement is commonly found. The degree of ventricular hypertrophy depends on the vasoconstrictor pulmonary response, the intensity of vascular resistance and the level of altitude, and therefore on the degree of hypoxemia. This chapter briefly summarizes the existing data regarding the clinical and pathophysiological features of the cardiopulmonary system in CMS, with emphasis in findings from research in the Andes. The literature shows variability in cardiac output values in CMS, which might be related to the degree of EE. Recent findings have shown that cardiac output (l/min) is lower in CMS when compared with sea-level (SL) dwellers. Mean pulmonary acceleration time (ms) is significantly lower in CMS subjects than in SL and HA natives, and pulmonary vascular resistance index (Wood units) is higher in CMS and HA natives when compared with SL dwellers. Systemic blood pressure has similar values in CMS patients and healthy HA natives, but some differences arise in its control mechanisms. Although CMS individuals have a less effective vasoconstrictor reflex, their tolerance to orthostatic stress is similar to that of healthy HA natives which might be explained in terms of the larger blood volume present in CMS subjects. At present research is directed to design strategies on pharmacological intervention for CMS treatment. Recently, a clinical trial with acetazolamide, in patients with CMS has proven to be effective in increasing mean pulmonary acceleration time and decreasing pulmonary vascular resistance index, which might be indirectly due the reduction of hematocrit.
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10
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Claydon VE, Gulli G, Slessarev M, Appenzeller O, Zenebe G, Gebremedhin A, Hainsworth R. Cerebrovascular Responses to Hypoxia and Hypocapnia in Ethiopian High Altitude Dwellers. Stroke 2008; 39:336-42. [DOI: 10.1161/strokeaha.107.491498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Background and Purpose—
Cerebrovascular responses to hypoxia and hypocapnia in Peruvian altitude dwellers are impaired. This could contribute to the high incidence of altitude-related illness in Andeans. Ethiopian high altitude dwellers may show a different pattern of adaptation to high altitude. We aimed to examine cerebral reactivity to hypoxia and hypocapnia in healthy Ethiopian high altitude dwellers. Responses were compared with our previous data from Peruvians.
Methods—
We studied 9 Ethiopian men at their permanent residence of 3622 m, and one day after descent to 794 m. We continuously recorded cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV; transcranial Doppler). End-tidal oxygen (P
ET
o
2
) was decreased from 100 mm Hg to 50 mm Hg with end-tidal carbon dioxide (P
ET
co
2
) clamped at the subject’s resting level. P
ET
co
2
was then manipulated by voluntary hyper- and hypoventilation, with P
ET
o
2
clamped at 100 mm Hg (normoxia) and 50 mm Hg (hypoxia).
Results—
During spontaneous breathing, P
ET
co
2
increased after descent, from 38.2±1.0 mm Hg to 49.8±0.6 mm Hg (
P
<0.001). There was no significant response of CBFV to hypoxia at either high (−0.19±3.1%) or low (1.1±2.9%) altitudes. Cerebrovascular reactivity to normoxic hypocapnia at high and low altitudes was 3.92±0.5%.mm Hg
−1
and 3.09±0.4%.mm Hg
−1
; reactivity to hypoxic hypocapnia was 4.83±0.7%.mm Hg
−1
and 2.82±0.5%.mm Hg
−1
. Responses to hypoxic hypocapnia were significantly smaller at low altitude.
Conclusions—
The cerebral circulation of Ethiopian high altitude dwellers is insensitive to hypoxia, unlike Peruvian high altitude dwellers. Cerebrovascular responses to P
ET
co
2
were greater in Ethiopians than Peruvians, particularly at high altitude. This, coupled with their high P
ET
co
2
levels, would lead to high cerebral blood flows, and may be advantageous for altitude living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria E. Claydon
- From ICORD (V.E.C.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; the Institute for Cardiovascular Research (V.E.C., G.G., R.H.), University of Leeds, UK; the Department of Physiology (M.S.), University of Toronto and Department of Anaesthesia, Toronto General Hospital, Ontario, Canada; the New Mexico Health Enhancement and Marathon Clinics (NMHEMC) Research Foundation (O.A.), Albuquerque, NM; the Department of Neurology (G.Z.), Yehuleshet Higher Clinic, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Giosué Gulli
- From ICORD (V.E.C.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; the Institute for Cardiovascular Research (V.E.C., G.G., R.H.), University of Leeds, UK; the Department of Physiology (M.S.), University of Toronto and Department of Anaesthesia, Toronto General Hospital, Ontario, Canada; the New Mexico Health Enhancement and Marathon Clinics (NMHEMC) Research Foundation (O.A.), Albuquerque, NM; the Department of Neurology (G.Z.), Yehuleshet Higher Clinic, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Marat Slessarev
- From ICORD (V.E.C.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; the Institute for Cardiovascular Research (V.E.C., G.G., R.H.), University of Leeds, UK; the Department of Physiology (M.S.), University of Toronto and Department of Anaesthesia, Toronto General Hospital, Ontario, Canada; the New Mexico Health Enhancement and Marathon Clinics (NMHEMC) Research Foundation (O.A.), Albuquerque, NM; the Department of Neurology (G.Z.), Yehuleshet Higher Clinic, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Otto Appenzeller
- From ICORD (V.E.C.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; the Institute for Cardiovascular Research (V.E.C., G.G., R.H.), University of Leeds, UK; the Department of Physiology (M.S.), University of Toronto and Department of Anaesthesia, Toronto General Hospital, Ontario, Canada; the New Mexico Health Enhancement and Marathon Clinics (NMHEMC) Research Foundation (O.A.), Albuquerque, NM; the Department of Neurology (G.Z.), Yehuleshet Higher Clinic, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Guta Zenebe
- From ICORD (V.E.C.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; the Institute for Cardiovascular Research (V.E.C., G.G., R.H.), University of Leeds, UK; the Department of Physiology (M.S.), University of Toronto and Department of Anaesthesia, Toronto General Hospital, Ontario, Canada; the New Mexico Health Enhancement and Marathon Clinics (NMHEMC) Research Foundation (O.A.), Albuquerque, NM; the Department of Neurology (G.Z.), Yehuleshet Higher Clinic, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Amha Gebremedhin
- From ICORD (V.E.C.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; the Institute for Cardiovascular Research (V.E.C., G.G., R.H.), University of Leeds, UK; the Department of Physiology (M.S.), University of Toronto and Department of Anaesthesia, Toronto General Hospital, Ontario, Canada; the New Mexico Health Enhancement and Marathon Clinics (NMHEMC) Research Foundation (O.A.), Albuquerque, NM; the Department of Neurology (G.Z.), Yehuleshet Higher Clinic, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - Roger Hainsworth
- From ICORD (V.E.C.), University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; the Institute for Cardiovascular Research (V.E.C., G.G., R.H.), University of Leeds, UK; the Department of Physiology (M.S.), University of Toronto and Department of Anaesthesia, Toronto General Hospital, Ontario, Canada; the New Mexico Health Enhancement and Marathon Clinics (NMHEMC) Research Foundation (O.A.), Albuquerque, NM; the Department of Neurology (G.Z.), Yehuleshet Higher Clinic, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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11
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Abstract
After defining the current approach to measuring the hypoxic ventilatory response this paper explains why this method is not appropriate for comparisons between individuals or conditions, and does not adequately measure the parameters of the peripheral chemoreflex. A measurement regime is therefore proposed that incorporates three procedures. The first procedure measures the peripheral chemoreflex responsiveness to both hypoxia and CO(2) in terms of hypoxia's effects on the sensitivity and ventilatory recruitment threshold of the peripheral chemoreflex response to CO(2). The second and third procedures employ current methods for measuring the isocapnic and poikilocapnic ventilatory responses to hypoxia, respectively, over a period of 20 min. The isocapnic measure is used to determine the time course characteristics of hypoxic ventilatory decline and the poikilocapnic measure shows the ventilatory response to a hypoxic environment. A measurement regime incorporating these three procedures will permit a detailed assessment of the peripheral chemoreflex response to hypoxia that allows comparisons to be made between individuals and different physiological and environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Duffin
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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12
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Rivera-Ch M, León-Velarde F, Huicho L. Treatment of chronic mountain sickness: critical reappraisal of an old problem. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2007; 158:251-65. [PMID: 17580125 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2007.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2007] [Revised: 04/29/2007] [Accepted: 05/01/2007] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A review is made on the different treatment strategies essayed to date in the management of chronic mountain sickness (CMS). After a brief presentation of the epidemiology and of the pathophysiological mechanisms proposed for explaining the disease, the advantages and drawbacks of the different treatment approaches are discussed, along with their pathopysiological rationale. A particular emphasis is dedicated to the scientific foundations underlying the development of acetazolamide and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors as promising therapeutic agents for CMS, as well as the clinical evidence existing so far on their usefulness in the treatment of CMS. Various methodological issues that need to be addressed in future clinical studies on efficacy of therapies for CMS are discussed. There is also a brief discussion on potential treatment options for chronic high altitude pulmonary hypertension. Closing remarks on the need of taking increasingly into account the development and implementation of preventive measures are made.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Rivera-Ch
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Instituto de Investigaciones de Altura, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, Lima LI 31, Peru.
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13
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Hainsworth R, Drinkhill MJ, Rivera-Chira M. The autonomic nervous system at high altitude. Clin Auton Res 2007; 17:13-9. [PMID: 17264976 PMCID: PMC1797062 DOI: 10.1007/s10286-006-0395-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2007] [Accepted: 01/03/2007] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The effects of hypobaric hypoxia in visitors depend not only on the actual elevation but also on the rate of ascent. Sympathetic activity increases and there are increases in blood pressure and heart rate. Pulmonary vasoconstriction leads to pulmonary hypertension, particularly during exercise. The sympathetic excitation results from hypoxia, partly through chemoreceptor reflexes and partly through altered baroreceptor function. High pulmonary arterial pressures may also cause reflex systemic vasoconstriction. Most permanent high altitude dwellers show excellent adaptation although there are differences between populations in the extent of the ventilatory drive and the erythropoiesis. Some altitude dwellers, particularly Andeans, may develop chronic mountain sickness, the most prominent characteristic of which being excessive polycythaemia. Excessive hypoxia due to peripheral chemoreceptor dysfunction has been suggested as a cause. The hyperviscous blood leads to pulmonary hypertension, symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion, and eventually right heart failure and death.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Hainsworth
- Institute for Cardiovascular Research, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.
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14
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León-Velarde F, Richalet JP. Respiratory control in residents at high altitude: physiology and pathophysiology. High Alt Med Biol 2006; 7:125-37. [PMID: 16764526 DOI: 10.1089/ham.2006.7.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Highland population (HA) from the Andes, living above 3000 m, have a blunted ventilatory response to increasing hypoxia, breathe less compared to acclimatized newcomers, but more, compared to sea-level natives at sea level. Subjects with chronic mountain sickness (CMS) breathe like sea-level natives and have excessive erythrocytosis (EE). The respiratory stimulation that arises through the peripheral chemoreflex is modestly less in the CMS group when compared with the HA group at the same P(ET(O2)). With regard to CO(2) sensitivity, CMS subjects seem to have reset their central CO(2) chemoreceptors to operate around the sea-level resting P(ET(CO2)). Acetazolamide, an acidifying drug that increases the chemosensitivity of regions in the brain stem that contain CO(2)/H(+) sensitive neurons, partially reverses this phenomenon, thus, providing CMS subjects with the possibility to have high CO(2) changes, despite small changes in ventilation. However, the same type of adjustments of the breathing pattern established for Andeans has not been found necessarily in Asian humans and/or domestic animals nor in the various high altitude species studied. The differing time frames of exposure to hypoxia among the populations, as well as the reversibility of the different components of the respiratory process at sea level, provide key concepts concerning the importance of time at high altitude in the evolution of an appropriate breathing pattern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola León-Velarde
- Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y Fisiológicas, Facultad de Ciencius Filosafia, Laboratorio de Transporte de Oxígeno, Lima, Perú.
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15
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Reeves SR, Gozal D. Respiratory and metabolic responses to early postnatal chronic intermittent hypoxia and sustained hypoxia in the developing rat. Pediatr Res 2006; 60:680-6. [PMID: 17065578 DOI: 10.1203/01.pdr.0000246073.95911.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to sustained hypoxia (SH) differentially modifies the hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR) in adults and developing rats. We examined the possibility that postnatal intermittent hypoxia (IH), a more prevalent clinical condition than SH, may lead to significant modifications of ventilatory patterning during development. Sprague-Dawley rat pups were exposed as of the d 1 of life to either SH (10% O2) or IH [alternating room air (RA) and 10% O2 every 90 s] for up to 30 d; controls were exposed to normoxia. HVR (10% O2 for 20 min) was assessed in unrestrained pups at 5, 10, 15, and 30 d of age using whole-body plethysmography. IH pups displayed higher normoxic ventilation (VE) at all ages (p < 0.001 versus control; n = 12 per group), which was not observed in SH animals until 10 d of exposure (p < 0.001 versus control; n = 12 per group). Furthermore, both SH and IH modified properties of peak HVR (pHVR), as well as those of the ensuing hypoxic ventilatory decline (HVD); however, the ventilatory strategies adopted after SH and IH greatly differed. We conclude that both postnatal IH and SH modify normal ventilatory patterning and induce altered HVR, but differ in the ventilatory strategies adopted to mount HVR responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R Reeves
- Department of Pediatrics, Kosair Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, Kentucky 40202, USA
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16
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Reeves SR, Gozal D. Developmental plasticity of respiratory control following intermittent hypoxia. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2005; 149:301-11. [PMID: 16203218 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2005.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2004] [Revised: 01/24/2005] [Accepted: 01/24/2005] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
During development, windows of increased vulnerability to noxious stimulus occur. These critical periods of maturation represent times at which the maturing animal is uniquely susceptible to external perturbations that may alter the ultimate configuration of neural networks and their associated function(s), thereby inducing persistent (mal)adaptive changes. In contrast, when comparable perturbations are applied to adult animals the associated adaptive changes do not typically persist. This principle has been demonstrated in models of respiratory plasticity in developing mammals including exposure to sustained hypoxia, hyperoxia, and pharmacological agents. Recently, intermittent hypoxia (IH) during development has also been implicated as a potent inducer of respiratory plasticity. Altered ventilatory patterning induced by IH is distinct from other stimuli and elicits markedly different responses in the developing mammal as compared to the adult. Furthermore, adaptations to acute IH (AIH) exposure may involve mechanisms that differ from those invoked by chronic IH exposure (CIH). Thus, critical examination of IH exposure paradigms is also an important consideration. Greater understanding of IH-induced ventilatory plasticity, particularly in the developing animal, will undoubtedly increase our understanding of IH related diseases such as sleep disordered breathing, and perhaps provide future directions for intervention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R Reeves
- Kosair Children's Hospital Research Institute, Departments of Pediatrics and Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Suite 204, 570 South Preston St., Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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17
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León-Velarde F, Maggiorini M, Reeves JT, Aldashev A, Asmus I, Bernardi L, Ge RL, Hackett P, Kobayashi T, Moore LG, Penaloza D, Richalet JP, Roach R, Wu T, Vargas E, Zubieta-Castillo G, Zubieta-Calleja G. Consensus statement on chronic and subacute high altitude diseases. High Alt Med Biol 2005; 6:147-57. [PMID: 16060849 DOI: 10.1089/ham.2005.6.147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 386] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This is an international consensus statement of an ad hoc committee formed by the International Society for Mountain Medicine (ISMM) at the VI World Congress on Mountain Medicine and High Altitude Physiology (Xining, China; 2004) and represents the committee's interpretation of the current knowledge with regard to the most common chronic and subacute high altitude diseases. It has been developed by medical and scientific authorities from the committee experienced in the recognition and prevention of high altitude diseases and is based mainly on published, peer-reviewed articles. It is intended to include all legitimate criteria for choosing to use a specific method or procedure to diagnose or manage high altitude diseases. However, the ISMM recognizes that specific patient care decisions depend on the different geographic circumstances involved in the development of each chronic high altitude disease. These guidelines are established to inform the medical services on site who are directed to solve high altitude health problems about the definition, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the most common chronic high altitude diseases. The health problems associated with life at high altitude are well documented, but health policies and procedures often do not reflect current state-of-the-art knowledge. Most of the cases of high altitude diseases are preventable if on-site personnel identify the condition and implement appropriate care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola León-Velarde
- Cayetano Heredia University/IIA, Department of Biological and Physiological Sciences, Oxygen Transport Laboratory, Lima 100, Perú.
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18
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Brutsaert TD, Parra EJ, Shriver MD, Gamboa A, Rivera-Ch M, León-Velarde F. Ancestry explains the blunted ventilatory response to sustained hypoxia and lower exercise ventilation of Quechua altitude natives. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2005; 289:R225-34. [PMID: 15802561 DOI: 10.1152/ajpregu.00105.2005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Andean high-altitude (HA) natives have a low (blunted) hypoxic ventilatory response (HVR), lower effective alveolar ventilation, and lower ventilation (VE) at rest and during exercise compared with acclimatized newcomers to HA. Despite blunted chemosensitivity and hypoventilation, Andeans maintain comparable arterial O(2) saturation (Sa(O(2))). This study was designed to evaluate the influence of ancestry on these trait differences. At sea level, we measured the HVR in both acute (HVR-A) and sustained (HVR-S) hypoxia in a sample of 32 male Peruvians of mainly Quechua and Spanish origins who were born and raised at sea level. We also measured resting and exercise VE after 10-12 h of exposure to altitude at 4,338 m. Native American ancestry proportion (NAAP) was assessed for each individual using a panel of 80 ancestry-informative molecular markers (AIMs). NAAP was inversely related to HVR-S after 10 min of isocapnic hypoxia (r = -0.36, P = 0.04) but was not associated with HVR-A. In addition, NAAP was inversely related to exercise VE (r = -0.50, P = 0.005) and ventilatory equivalent (VE/Vo(2), r = -0.51, P = 0.004) measured at 4,338 m. Thus Quechua ancestry may partly explain the well-known blunted HVR (10, 35, 36, 57, 62) at least to sustained hypoxia, and the relative exercise hypoventilation at altitude of Andeans compared with European controls. Lower HVR-S and exercise VE could reflect improved gas exchange and/or attenuated chemoreflex sensitivity with increasing NAAP. On the basis of these ancestry associations and on the fact that developmental effects were completely controlled by study design, we suggest both a genetic basis and an evolutionary origin for these traits in Quechua.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom D Brutsaert
- Department of Anthropology, 1400 Washington Ave., University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA.
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19
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Wilson DF, Roy A, Lahiri S. Immediate and long-term responses of the carotid body to high altitude. High Alt Med Biol 2005; 6:97-111. [PMID: 16060845 PMCID: PMC2784888 DOI: 10.1089/ham.2005.6.97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
High altitude and the decreased environmental oxygen pressure have both immediate and chronic effects on the carotid body. An immediate effect is to limit the oxygen available for mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, and this leads to increased activity on the afferent nerves leading to the brain. In the isolated carotid body preparation, the afferent nerve activity depends on the ratio of carbon monoxide (CO), an inhibitor of respiratory chain function, to oxygen. The CO-induced increase in afferent neural activity is reversed by light, and the wavelength dependence of this reversal shows that the site of CO (and therefore oxygen) interaction is cytochrome a3 of the mitochondrial respiratory chain. Thus, primary sensing of ambient oxygen pressure is through the oxygen dependence of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. The conductance of ion channels in the cellular membranes may also be sensitive to oxygen pressure and, through this, modulate the sensitivity to oxygen pressure. Longer-term exposure to high altitude results in progressive changes in the carotid body that involve several mechanisms, including cellular energy metabolism and hypoxia inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha). These changes begin within minutes of exposure, but progress such that chronic exposure results in morphological and biochemical alterations in the carotid body, including enlarged cells, increased catecholamine levels, altered cellular appearance, and others. In the chronically adapted carotid body, responses to acute changes in oxygen pressure are enhanced. The adaptive changes due to chronic hypoxia are largely reversed upon return to lower altitudes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Wilson
- Department of Biochemistry & Biophysics, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
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20
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Somogyi RB, Preiss D, Vesely A, Fisher JA, Duffin J. Changes in respiratory control after 5 days at altitude. Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2005; 145:41-52. [PMID: 15652787 DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2004.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/09/2004] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
These experiments examined changes in the chemoreflex control of breathing and acid-base balance after 5 days at altitude (3480 m) in six healthy males. The partial pressures of carbon dioxide (P(CO2)) at which ventilation increased during isoxic hypoxic and hyperoxic modified rebreathing tests at sea level fell significantly at altitude by mean+/-S.E.M. of 12.8+/-2.51 mmHg and 9.5+/-1.77 mmHg, respectively, but response slopes above threshold were unchanged. Altitude exposure produced a respiratory alkalosis evidenced by a decrease in mean resting end-tidal P(CO2) from 41+/-0.84 mmHg at sea level to 32+/-2.04 mmHg at altitude, but pH did not increase significantly from its sea level value. Blood samples were analyzed to discover acid-base changes, using a modification of the equations for acid-base balance proposed by [Stewart, P.A., 1983. Modern quantitative acid-base chemistry. Can. J. Physiol. Pharmacol. 61, 1444-1461]. While strong ion difference at altitude was not significantly different from its sea level value, albumin concentration was increased significantly from 38.6+/-0.30 g L(-1) to 49.8+/-0.76 g L(-1). We suggest that the respiratory alkalosis was produced by a fall in the chemoreflex threshold and pH was corrected by an elevation in the concentration of weakly dissociated protein anions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron B Somogyi
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Medical Science Bldg, Room 3326, 1 Kings College Circle, Toronto, Ont., Canada, M5S 1A8
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21
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Claydon VE, Norcliffe LJ, Moore JP, Rivera M, Leon-Velarde F, Appenzeller O, Hainsworth R. Cardiovascular responses to orthostatic stress in healthy altitude dwellers, and altitude residents with chronic mountain sickness. Exp Physiol 2004; 90:103-10. [PMID: 15466458 DOI: 10.1113/expphysiol.2004.028399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
High altitude (HA) dwellers have an exceptionally high tolerance to orthostatic stress, and this may partly be related to their high packed cell and blood volumes. However, it is not known whether their orthostatic tolerance would be changed after relief of the altitude-related hypoxia. Furthermore, orthostatic tolerance is known also to be influenced by the efficiency of the control of peripheral vascular resistance and by the effectiveness of cerebral autoregulation and these have not been reported in HA dwellers. In this study we examined plasma volume, orthostatic tolerance and peripheral vascular and cerebrovascular responses to orthostatic stress in HA dwellers, including some with chronic mountain sickness (CMS) in whom packed cell and blood volumes are particularly large. Eleven HA control subjects and 11 CMS patients underwent orthostatic stress testing, comprising head-up tilting with lower body suction, at their resident altitude (4338 m) and at sea level. Blood pressure (Portapres), heart rate (ECG), brachial and middle cerebral artery blood velocities (Doppler) were recorded during the test. Plasma volumes were found to be similar in both groups and at both locations. Packed cell and blood volumes were higher in CMS patients than controls. All subjects had very good orthostatic tolerances at both locations, compared to previously published data in lowland dwellers. In CMS patients responses of forearm vascular resistance to the orthostatic stress, at sea level, were smaller than controls (P < 0.05). Cerebral blood velocity was less in CMS than in controls (P < 0.01) and, at sea level, it decreased more than the controls in response to head-up tilting (P < 0.02). Cerebral autoregulation, assessed from the relationship between cerebral pressure and velocity, was also impaired in CMS patients compared to HA controls, when examined at sea level (P < 0.02). These results have shown that the good orthostatic tolerance seen in high altitude dwellers at altitude is also seen at sea level. There was no difference in orthostatic tolerance between CMS patients, with their exceptionally large blood volumes, and the HA controls. This may be because peripheral vascular and cerebrovascular responses (at least at sea level) are impaired in the CMS patients relative to HA controls. Thus, the advantage of the large blood volume may be offset by the smaller vascular responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- V E Claydon
- Institute for Cardiovascular Research, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
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22
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Wu T. A Tibetan with Chronic Mountain Sickness Followed by High Altitude Pulmonary Edema on Reentry. High Alt Med Biol 2004; 5:190-4. [PMID: 15265340 DOI: 10.1089/1527029041352081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) and high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) each occur rarely in Tibetans, and they have previously not been reported in the same person. Here we describe a 37-year-old native Tibetan man with CMS at 4300 m, who developed HAPE after his return home from a 12-day visit to sea level. Possible common pathogenetic factors included a poor ventilatory response to hypoxia, accentuated hypoxemia, pulmonary hypertension, and increased blood volume. In addition, strenuous exercise and high levels (to approximately 1000 ng/L) of plasma atrial natriuretic peptide may have contributed to HAPE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Wu
- High Altitude Medical Research Institute, Xining, Qinghai, P. R. China.
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23
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Sightings. High Alt Med Biol 2003. [DOI: 10.1089/152702903769192223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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24
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Fatemian M, Gamboa A, Léon-Velarde F, Rivera-Ch M, Palacios JA, Robbins PA. Selected contribution: Ventilatory response to CO2 in high-altitude natives and patients with chronic mountain sickness. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2003; 94:1279-87; discussion 1253-4. [PMID: 12571150 DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00859.2002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ventilatory responses to CO(2) of high-altitude (HA) natives and patients with chronic mountain sickness (CMS) were studied and compared with sea-level (SL) natives living at SL. A multifrequency binary sequence (MFBS) in end-tidal Pco(2) was employed to separate the fast (peripheral) and slow (central) components of the chemoreflex response. MFBS was imposed against a background of both euoxia (end-tidal Po(2) of 100 Torr) and hypoxia (52.5 Torr). Both total and central chemoreflex sensitivity to CO(2) in euoxia were higher in HA and CMS subjects compared with SL subjects. Peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity to CO(2) in euoxia was higher in HA subjects than in SL subjects. Hypoxia induced a greater increase in total chemoreflex sensitivity to CO(2) in SL subjects than in HA and CMS subjects, but peripheral chemoreflex sensitivity to CO(2) in hypoxia was no greater in SL subjects than in HA and CMS subjects. Values for the slow (central) time constant were significantly greater for HA and CMS subjects than for SL subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marzieh Fatemian
- University Laboratory of Physiology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PT, United Kingdom
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