Hypoglycemia and the origin of hypoxia-induced reduction in human fetal growth.

Background: The most well known reproductive consequence of residence at high altitude (HA >2700 m) is reduction in fetal growth. Reduced fetoplacental oxygenation is an underlying cause of pregnancy pathologies, including intrauterine growth restriction and preeclampsia, which are more common at HA. Therefore, altitude is a natural experimental model to study the etiology of pregnancy pathophysiologies.

Where the O2 goes to: preservation of human fetal oxygen delivery and consumption at high altitude.

Fetal growth is decreased at high altitude (> 2700 m). We hypothesized that variation in fetal O(2) delivery might account for both the altitude effect and the relative preservation of fetal growth in multigenerational natives to high altitude. Participants were 168 women of European or Andean ancestry living at 3600 m or 400 m.

Maternal oxygen delivery is not related to altitude- and ancestry-associated differences in human fetal growth.

Fetal growth is reduced at high altitude, but the decrease is less among long-resident populations. We hypothesized that greater maternal uteroplacental O(2) delivery would explain increased fetal growth in Andean natives versus European migrants to high altitude. O(2) delivery was measured with ultrasound, Doppler and haematological techniques.

Variation of leishmanicidal activity in four populations of Urechites andrieuxii.

Urechites andrieuxii Muell.-Arg. (Apocynaceae) is widely used in the Yucatan Peninsula for the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Expression of lactate dehydrogenase A and B genes in different tissues of rats adapted to chronic hypobaric hypoxia.

Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) is a tetramer made up of two different subunits A and B. In cellular models, severe hypoxia increases LDH A gene expression whereas LDH B gene does not exhibit any regulation. The aim of our work was to characterise LDH expression in different tissues of rats bred at high altitude.