Plasma erythropoietin in men and mice during acclimatization to different altitudes

PH Abbrecht, JK Littell - Journal of Applied Physiology, 1972 - journals.physiology.org
PH Abbrecht, JK Littell
Journal of Applied Physiology, 1972journals.physiology.org
ABBRECHT, PETER H., AND JUDITH K. LITTELL. Plasma erythropoietin in men and mice
during acclimati< ation to d $ erent altitudes. J. Appl. Physiol. 32 (1): 54-58. 1972.-Repeated
measurements of plasma erythropoietin concentration were made in five men before and
during 10 days' stay at 14,300 ft. Serial determinations of plasma erythropoietin
concentration over a lo-day period were also made in mice during exposure to air pressures
of 5 10, 440, or 360 mm Hg, equivalent to altitudes of 10,500, 14,500, and 19,000 ft …
ABBRECHT, PETER H., AND JUDITH K. LITTELL. Plasma erythropoietin in men and mice during acclimati< ation to d $ erent altitudes. J. Appl. Physiol. 32 (1): 54-58. 1972.-Repeated measurements of plasma erythropoietin concentration were made in five men before and during 10 days’ stay at 14,300 ft. Serial determinations of plasma erythropoietin concentration over a lo-day period were also made in mice during exposure to air pressures of 5 10, 440, or 360 mm Hg, equivalent to altitudes of 10,500, 14,500, and 19,000 ft, respectively. Calibration curves using a standard erythropoietin preparation were done with all assays, so that erythropoietin concentration could be expressed in standard units per milliliter. In human beings, erythropoietin concentration reached maximum values after from 19-to 39-hr hypoxia, and then decreased rapidly without a significant change in hematocrit or blood hemoglobin concentration. Maximum erythropoietin values in mice were measured at 12-to 18-hr hypoxic exposure, with the earlier peak occurring at the highest altitude. In all cases, erythropoietin concentration had decreased to values not significantly different from prehypoxic control values by the 10th day at altitude. There was good correlation between maximum erythropoietin concentration and estimated PO% in mice. hypoxia, erythropoiesis; erythropoietin disappearance rate; hematocrit during hypoxia; blood hemoglobin concentration during hypoxia
ALTHOUGH THE ROLE of erythropoietin in the erythropoietic response to hypoxia is well established, there is little detailed information on the time course of plasma erythropoietic stimulating activity following an abrupt decrease in the Paz of inspired air or sudden ascent to high altitude. Data are particularly limited for human beings, with serial studies of plasma erythropoietin being reported only for one man during 4 days at 406 mm Hg ambient pressure (21), and for a group of men 1, 3, and 8 days after ascent to 14,900 ft (18). Serial studies of plasma erythropoietic stimulating activity during sustained hypoxic exposure have been reported for the rat (22), the rabbit (16), guinea pigs (9), and mice (8, 11). However, these studies did not compare the effects of different degrees of hypoxic stress in the same species. Furthermore, it is difficult to interpret the results of various studies since different assay methods were used, and with one exception(11) plasma erythropoietin values were not reported in terms of concentration of standard units. Accurate descriptions of the time course of plasma erythropoietin concentration are essential in obtaining a quantitative understanding of the erythropoietic response to hypoxia, and in the development of mathematical relationships for analyzing
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