Three groups of sedentary male rats were exposed to intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) for 22 days (4 h/day, 5 days/week) in a hypobaric chamber at a simulated altitude of 5,000 m. Tibialis anterior (TA) and diaphragm (DG) were removed at the end of the programme (H group), and 20 or 40 days later (P20 and P40 groups). A control group (C) was maintained at sea-level pressure and their TA and DG were compared to those of the experimental rats at the end of the IHH programme, and also 20 and 40 days later. We measured the fibre morphometry and capillaries of each muscle. Our results demonstrate that IHH does not change the fibre type composition (with reference to either their contractile or oxidative properties) for most muscle regions of the muscles analysed analysed. We found few significant differences in muscle capillarity and fibre morphometry for TA after IHH. However, IHH did induce some statistically significant changes in DG: capillary density of the H rats (736 capillaries/mm2) increased compared to C animals (610 capillaries/mm2). Although IHH did not change the fibre capillarization or morphometric parameters of fast fibre types, we observed reductions ranging from 7 to 13% in fibre area, perimeter and diffusion distances between C and H for slow fibres. Moreover, these morphometric changes accounted for increases of 10-20% in capillarization, fibre unit area and fibre unit perimeter. This indicates that SO fibres are more sensitive to IHH than both fast fibre types.

Panisello, Pere, Joan Ramon Torrella, Teresa Pagés, and Ginés Viscor. Capillary supply and fiber morphometry in rat myocardium after intermittent exposure to hypobaric hypoxia. High Alt. Med. Biol. 8:322-330, 2007.-Three groups of male rats were submitted to an intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) program for 22 days (4 h/day, 5 days/week) in a hypobaric chamber at a simulated altitude of 5000 m. Hearts were removed at the end of the program (H group) and 20 and 40 days later (P20 and P40 groups). A control group (C) was maintained at sea-level pressure. Transverse sections from myocardium were cut and histochemically stained in order to measure fiber morphometry and capillaries. We observed a progressive increase from C to H to P20 animals in capillary (4124 to 4733 to 4816 capillaries/mm 2 ) and fiber densities (2844 to 3125 to 3284 fibers/mm 2 ) associated with significant reductions in fiber area (273, 235, and 227 m 2 ), perimeter (69, 64, and 62 m), and diffusion distances (18.2, 16.9, and 16.6 m). The most significant differences between C and hypoxic groups were found when morphometrical and vascular fiber parameters were combined. The myocardium of the latter had more capillaries per fiber area and per fiber perimeter. These findings indicate that the IHH program elicits an adaptive response of rat myocardium to a more efficient O2 delivery to mitochondria of cardiac muscle cells. Capillarization and fiber morphometric changes showed marked differences over time. In all cases, P20 had higher capillarization parameters and fiber morphometry reductions than H, thus indicating that a delay of about 20 days exists after the hypoxic stimulus ceases to reach complete angiogenesis and fiber morphometry changes. However, P40 animals showed a recovery to basal values of the parameters related to fiber morphometry (area, perimeter, and diffusion distances), but maintained high capillarity values (capillary density, NCF, CCA, CCP).

Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to two groups: control and anaemic. Anaemia was induced by periodical blood withdrawal. Extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles were excised under pentobarbital sodium total anaesthesia and processed for transmission electron microscopy, histochemical and biochemical analyses. Mitochondrial volume was determined by transmission electron microscopy in three different regions of each muscle fibre: pericapillary, sarcolemmal and sarcoplasmatic. Muscle samples sections were also stained with histochemical methods (SDH and m-ATPase) to reveal the oxidative capacity and shortening velocity of each muscle fibre. Determinations of fibre and capillary densities and fibre type composition were made from micrographs of different fixed fields selected in the equatorial region of each rat muscle. Determination of metabolites (ATP, inorganic phosphate, creatine, creatine phosphate and lactate) was done using established enzymatic methods and spectrophotometric detection. Significant differences in mitochondrial volumes were found between pericapillary, sarcolemmal and sarcoplasmic regions when data from animal groups were tested independently. Moreover, it was verified that anaemic rats had significantly lower values than control animals in all the sampled regions of both muscles. These changes were associated with a significantly higher proportion of fast fibres in anaemic rat soleus muscles (slow oxidative group = 63.8%; fast glycolytic group = 8.2%; fast oxidative glycolytic group = 27.4%) than in the controls (slow oxidative group = 79.0%; fast glycolytic group = 3.9%; fast oxidative glycolytic group = 17.1%). No significant changes were detected in the extensor digitorum longus muscle. A significant increase was found in metabolite concentration in both the extensor digitorum longus and soleus muscles of the anaemic animals as compared to the control group. In conclusion, hypoxaemic hypoxia causes a reduction in mitochondrial volumes of pericapillary, sarcolemmal, and sarcoplasmic regions. However, a common proportional pattern of the zonal distribution of mitochondria was maintained within the fibres. A significant increment was found in the concentration of some metabolites and in the proportion of fast fibres in the more oxidative soleus muscle in contrast to the predominantly anaerobic extensor digitorum longus.

Intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) exposure induces a rise in hemoglobin concentration and an increase in erythrocyte mass in both rats and humans. Although this response increases blood oxygen transport capacity, paradoxically, it could impair blood flow and gas exchange because of the blood viscosity alterations associated with the rising hematocrit. In the present study, male rats were subjected to an IHH program consisting of a daily 4-h session for 5 days/week until they had completed 22 days of hypoxia exposure in a hypobaric chamber at a simulated altitude of 5000 m. Blood samples were taken at the end of the exposure period (H) and at 20 (P20) and 40 (P40) days after the end of the program and were compared to control (C) maintained at sea- level pressure. Apparent blood viscosity (eta(a)) and plasma viscosity (eta(p)) were measured in a cone-plate microviscometer. Although the hematocrit significantly increased in the H group, blood apparent viscosity did not differ among groups, ranging from 7.67 to 6.57 mPa*sec at a shear rate of 90 sec(-1). Relative blood viscosity showed a clear increase (about 27%) in H rats, mainly due to the significant decrease in plasma viscosity. This finding could be interpreted as a compensatory response, which reduced the effect of increased erythrocyte mass volume on whole-blood viscosity. Oxygen delivery index and blood oxygen potential transport capacity remained unchanged in all groups. These data indicate that the IHH program has a deep but transitory effect on red cell parameters and a moderate effect on blood rheological behavior.

We studied the effect of intermittent hypobaric hypoxia exposure on lactate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase activities, together with myoglobin content, of rat myocardium, tibialis anterior, and diaphragm muscles. The intermittent hypoxia exposure programme consisted of daily 4-h sessions in a hypobaric chamber (5000 m) over a period of 22 days. Samples were taken at the end of the programme, and 20 and 40 days later, and compared with those of control animals. In myocardium, lactate dehydrogenase activity was significantly depressed in animals 20 days post-exposure (314.6 +/- 15.3 IU . g(-1)) compared with control animals (400 +/- 14.3 IU . g(-1)), while citrate synthase activity and myoglobin concentration showed a significant stepwise increase from control animals (88.2 +/- 3.6 IU . g(-1) and 4.38 +/- 0.13 microm . mg(-1)) to animals 20 days (104.7 +/- 3.7 IU . g(-1) and 5.01 +/- 0.17 microm . mg(-1)) and 40 days post-exposure (108.8 +/- 6.5 IU . g(-1) and 5.11 +/- 0.22 microm . mg(-1)). In contrast, no differences were found in diaphragm and tibialis anterior muscles. Our results show that intermittent hypobaric hypoxia exposure increased the oxidative character of myocardium even 20 days after the hypoxic stimulus has ceased, and that this effect lasts for more than 40 days for citrate synthase activity and myoglobin concentration. These findings support our previous results on skeletal and cardiac muscle capillarization after passive intermittent simulated altitude exposure, thus providing morphofunctional and biochemical evidence for increased cardiac aerobic efficiency.

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