Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α may mediate mammalian cells to adapt hypoxia environment.
OBJECTIVE: To observe high altitude hypoxia on the ultrastructure of the lung tissue of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α expression.
METHODS: Sprague-Dawley rats underwent high altitude hypoxia intervention for 1, 2, 3 and 30 days. Control group was set. Four high altitude hypoxia groups consisted of Golmud, Qinghai at the altitude of 2 700 m from 5-m above sea level of Xi'an consuming 1 day, Tanggula region at 5 000 m above sea level consuming 2 days, and Tibet Nagqu at 4 500 m above sea level consuming 3 and 30 days, respectively.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Light and electron microscopy showed that acute high altitude hypoxia 2 day group presented apparent high altitude pulmonary edema, while the 30 day group of acute high altitude hypoxia of high altitude pulmonary edema was significantly reduced, but hypoxia-inducible factor 1α mRNA expression was significantly increased (P < 0.01). Results demonstrate that hypoxia-inducible factor 1α mRNA expression increase in lung tissues after hypoxic acclimatization can help ameliorate high altitude pulmonary edema.