title: Effects of high altitude exposure on plasma and urinary digoxin-like immunoreactive substance.
abstract: Six young healthy subjects underwent a 20 day exposure to altitude, at 4930 m (16,174 ft), to evaluate possible plasma and urine digoxin-like immunoreactive substance (DLIS) changes accompanying the altered water and electrolyte balance induced by hypoxia. We studied DLIS, plasma renin activity (PRA), aldosterone, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and arginine vasopressin (ADH) in serial blood and urine samples. An increase in DLIS in plasma (P less than .005) and urine (P less than .01) was found, while aldosterone was decreased (P less than .02). PRA, ADH, and ANP did not change significantly. A trend to a greater loss of sodium through urinary excretion, correlated with urinary DLIS values (r = 0.47, P less than .01), was observed. Data suggest a possible important role of DLIS in adaptive response of human organism to high altitude.
authors.affiliation: Italian Air Force, D.A.S.R.S.-Aerospace Medicine Department, Aeroporto Pratica Di Mare Rome.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Angelis
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farrace
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Urbani
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Porcú
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: D'Amelio
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santucci
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Balsano
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000450:Aldosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D000531:Altitude; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000652:urine*; D002298:Cardenolides; D004077:Digoxin / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012083:Renin / Q000097:blood; D012503:Saponins; D012964:Sodium / Q000652:urine; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D002298:Cardenolides; D012503:Saponins; C034504:digoxin-like factors; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D000450:Aldosterone; D004077:Digoxin; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D012964:Sodium; D012083:Renin; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase