title: Ghrelin and leptin levels of sojourners and acclimatized lowlanders at high altitude.
abstract: The circulatory levels of two appetite regulatory hormones i.e. leptin and ghrelin were estimated in sojourners and acclimatized subjects to investigate their possible role in high altitude (HA) induced anorexia. A group of 30 lowlanders who had never visited HA were inducted to a height of 3600 m by air and after 48 h they were further taken to an altitude of 4300 m by road. Blood samples were collected after 48 h stay at 3600 m and again after 48 h and 7 days of stay at 4300 m during 0700-0730 h. There was a decrease in energy intake (850 kcal/day) of sojourners, which resulted in loss of body weight by 2.12 kg at HA. At an altitude of 4300 m there was a significant increase in leptin over basal levels (54.9%, p < 0.001) at 48 h that persisted even after 7 days of stay at this altitude. Ghrelin levels of sojourners decreased by more than 30% in comparison to basal values at 48 h of ascent to HA. Leptin levels of acclimatized lowlanders were also higher in comparison with control group (acclimatized group 7.6 + 0.6 ng/ml vs. control 5.6 + 0.5 ng/ml, p < 0.01, n = 50).
authors.affiliation: Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences, Lucknow Road, Timarpur, Delhi 110 054, India.
authors.forename: Vasudha
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shukla
authors.forename: Som N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Praveen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vats
authors.forename: Vijay K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Shashi B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Banerjee
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization; D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D000855:Anorexia / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D002149:Energy Intake; D054439:Ghrelin; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D020738:Leptin / Q000097:blood*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008889:Military Personnel; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D015431:Weight Loss
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D020738:Leptin; D036361:Peptide Hormones