title: Chronic exposure to simulated altitude does not increase angiogenic activity in skeletal muscle of rats.
abstract: In order to examine whether the hypoxia of high altitude increases angiogenic activity in skeletal muscle, six male Wistar rats were subjected to a simulated altitude of about 5,500 m (ambient pressure 380 mmHg) for 3 weeks, and the whole soleus, gastrocnemius, and extensor digitorum longus muscles were collected. As a result, any muscle extracts from high altitude rats did not significantly enhance the capillary growth in an in vitro angiogenesis model compared with those from sea-level rats. This appeared to confirm previous morphological studies that hypobaric-hypoxic environment did not cause the formation of new capillaries in skeletal muscles.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hygiene, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamashita
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kizaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Oh-Ishi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohno
mesh_terms: D000531:Altitude; D000532:Altitude Sickness / Q000150:complications*; D000818:Animals; D002196:Capillaries / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000098:blood supply*; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic / Q000209:etiology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar