Effect of Acute and Chronic Exposure to High Altitude on the Aerobic and Anaerobic Metabolism in Rats

In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of acute and chronic exposure to HA on the aerobic and anaerobic metabolism in liver by determining the hepatic levels of ICDH and ATP. Lactate levels in liver and blood were also examined. Rats were exposed to an altitude of 4,300 m for 30 days, and those without HA exposure were used as controls. We observed an increased expression of liver ICDH following acute exposure (days 1, 3, and 7), whereas the liver ATP concentration was reduced on day 1. No changes in the hepatic expression of ICDH and ATP were found in rats chronically exposed to HA. Lactate concentrations of liver and blood did not show any significant changes following HA exposure. Thus, aerobic metabolism may be the major metabolic pathway in response to HA hypoxia in order to acclimatize themselves to the stressful environments.