Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-v9fdk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T07:44:01.770Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of high altitude and exercise on plasma erythropoietin in equids

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2011

Kenneth H. McKeever ,
Steven J. Wickler ,
Timothy R. Smith  and
David C. Poole
Kenneth H. McKeever*
Affiliation:
Equine Science Center, Department of Animal Sciences, Rutgers – The State University of New Jersey, 84 Lipman Drive, New Brunswick, NJ08901-8525, USA
Steven J. Wickler
Affiliation:
Department of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA91768, USA
Timothy R. Smith
Affiliation:
Department of Kinesiology, California State University, Fullerton, CA92832, USA
David C. Poole
Affiliation:
Departments of Kinesiology, Anatomy and Physiology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
*
*Corresponding author: mckeever@aesop.rutgers.edu
Get access

Abstract

To help resolve the mechanistic bases for haematological adaptations (~28% increase in red blood cell volume) of equids to high altitude (3800 m, barometric pressure Pb, 487 mm Hg) and exercise, plasma erythropoietin concentration ([EPO]) was measured at rest and following exercise in six, moderately fit equids (four Arabians, one Quarter Horse and one Shetland Pony; four females and two males; age 9.0 ± 4.5 years (mean ± SD)). [EPO] was measured on 2 days at 225 m (i.e. ~sea level; Pb, 743 mm Hg), over the course of a 10-day altitude exposure, and then again for 2 days after return to sea level. A standard track exercise test (submaximal, speed set-to-heart rate of 110 (trot), 150 (canter), 180 (gallop) bpm) was performed 2 days pre-high-altitude exposure and on three separate days at high altitude. In addition, a maximal incremental exercise test was performed on a high-speed motor-driven treadmill at sea level and 2 days following return to sea level from high altitude. Resting [EPO] increased from 28 ± 29 at sea level to 144 ± 46 mU ml− 1 (P < 0.05) on the first day at high altitude. By day 2 at high altitude, [EPO] had returned to baseline (31 ± 24 mU ml− 1, P>0.05 vs. pre-high altitude) and did not change over the remaining 8 days at high altitude nor over the 2 days after return to sea level. [EPO] was not significantly altered by acute exercise at sea level or at 3800 m. These results indicate that [EPO] increases rapidly (though transiently) in response to hypobaric hypoxia but not to acute exercise, and that exercise does not appear to potentiate the altitude response. Thus, if any [EPO]-derived haematological adaptations to high altitude are present, these appear to result from a transient ~4-fold elevation of [EPO] rather than any sustained increase in this signalling mechanism, at least in the equid.

Keywords

equineexertionhypoxiahigh altitude
Type
Research Paper
Information
Comparative Exercise Physiology , Volume 7 , Issue 4 , November 2010 , pp. 193 - 199
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1Hochachka, PW, Gunga, HC and Kirsch, K (1998). Our ancestral physiological phenotype: an adaptation for hypoxia tolerance and for endurance performance. Proceedings National Academy of Science 95: 1915–1920.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
2Taylor, CT and McElwain, JC (2010). Ancient atmospheres and the evolution of oxygen sensing via the hypoxia-inducible factor in metazoans. Physiology 25: 272–279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
3Abbrecht, PH and Littell, JK (1972). Plasma erythropoietin in men and mice during acclimatization to different altitudes. Journal of Applied Physiology 32: 54–58.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
4Milledge, JS and Cotes, PM (1985). Serum erythropoietin in humans at altitude and its relation to plasma renin. Journal of Applied Physiology 59: 360–364.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5Johnson, GR (1989). Erythropoietin. British Medical Bulletin. 45: 506–514.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
6Giger, U (1992). Erythropoietin and its clinical use. Compendium of Continuing Education for Practicing Veterinarians 14: 25–34.Google Scholar
7Geor, RJ and Weiss, DJ (1993). Drugs affecting the hematologic system of the performance horse. In: Hinchcliff, KW and Sams, RA (eds) The Veterinary Clinics of North America-Equine Practice, Drug Use in Performance Horse, vol 9. Maryland Heights, Philadelphia, MO: Elsevier, Saunders, pp. 649–667.Google ScholarPubMed
8Gunga, HC, Kirsch, K, Rocker, L and Schoberberger, W (1994). Time course of erythropoietin, triiodothyronine, thyroxine, and thyroid-stimulating hormone at 2,315 m. Journal of Applied Physiology 76: 1068–1072.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
9Gunga, HC, Rocker, L, Behn, C, Hidebrandt, W, Koralewski, E, Rich, I et al. (1996). Shift working in the Chilean Andes (>3,600 m) and its influence on erythropoietin and the low pressure system. Journal of Applied Physiology 81: 846–852.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
10McKeever, KH (1996). Erythropoietin: a new form of blood doping in horses. In: Wade, J (ed.) Proceedings of the 11th International Conference of Racing Analysts and Veterinarians. Newmarket: R&W Press, pp. 79–84.Google Scholar
11McKeever, KH, Agans, JM, Geiser, S, Lorimer, P and Maylin, GA (2006). Low dose exogenous erythropoietin elicits an ergogenic effect in Standardbred horses. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 36: 233–238.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12Bayly, WM, Schultz, DA, Hodgson, DR and Gollnick, PD (1987). Ventilatory responses of the horse to exercise: effect of gas collection systems. Journal of Applied Physiology 63: 1210–1217.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
13Wagner, PD, Gillespie, JR, Landgren, GL, Fedde, MR, Jones, BW, DeBowes, RM et al. (1989). Mechanism of exercise-induced hypoxemia in horses. Journal of Applied Physiology 66: 1227–1233.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
14Lekeux, P and Art, T (1994). The respiratory system: anatomy, physiology, and adaptations to exercise and training. In: Hodgson, DR and Rose, RJ (eds) The Athletic Horse: Principles and Practice of Equine Sports Medicine. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders, pp. 79–127.Google Scholar
15Padilla, DJ, McDonough, P, Kindig, CA, Behnke, BJ, Erickson, HH and Poole, DC (2004). Control of ventilation and arterial CO2 pressure following cessation of exercise in the Thoroughbred horse. Journal of Applied Physiology 96: 2187–2193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16Poole, DC and Erickson, HH (2011). Highly athletic terrestrial mammals: horses and dogs. Comprehensive Physiology 1: 1–37.Google ScholarPubMed
17Schwandt, HJ, Heyduck, B, Gunga, HC and Rocker, L (1991). Influence of prolonged physical exercise on the erythropoietin concentration in blood. European Journal of Applied Physiology 63: 463–466.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
18Ekhardt, KU, Kurtz, A and Bauer, C (1990). Triggering of erythropoietin production by hypoxia is inhibited by respiratory and metabolic acidosis. American Journal of Physiology 258: R678–R683.Google Scholar
19Schmidt, W, Eckardt, KU, Hilgendorf, A, Strauch, S and Bauer, C (1991). Effects of maximal and submaximal exercise under normoxic and hypoxic conditions on serum erythropoietin levels. International Journal of Sports Medicine 12: 457–461.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
20Schmidt, W, Spielvogel, H, Eckardt, KU, Quintela, A and Penaloza, R (1993). Effects of chronic hypoxia and exercise on plasma erythropoietin in high-altitude residents. Journal of Applied Physiology 74: 1874–1878.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
21Bodary, PF, Pate, RR, Wu, QF and McMillan, GS (1999). Effects of acute exercise on plasma erythropoietin levels in trained runners. Medicine Science in Sports Exercise 31: 543–546.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
22Persson, SGB (1967). On blood volume and work capacity in horses. Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica Supplement 19: 1–189.Google Scholar
23Persson, SG and Osterberg, I (1999). Racing performance in red blood cell hypervolaemic standardbred trotters. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 30: 617–620.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
24Wickler, SJ and Anderson, TP (2000). Hematological changes and athletic performance in horses in response to high altitude (3,800 m). American Journal of Physiology 279: R1176–R1181.Google ScholarPubMed
25Green, HM, Wickler, SJ, Anderson, TP, Cogger, EA, Lewis, CC and Wyle, A (1999). High-altitude effects on respiratory gases, acid–base balance and pulmonary artery pressures in equids. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 30: 71–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
26Wen, D, Boissel, JP, Tracy, TE, Gruniger, RH, Mulcahy, LS, Czelusniak, J et al. (1993). Erythropoietin structure–function relationships: high degree of sequence homology among mammals. Blood 5: 1507–1516.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
27Kearns, CF, Lenhart, JA and McKeever, KH (2000). Cross-reactivity between human erythropoietin antibody and horse erythropoiesis. Electrophoresis 21: 1454–1457.3.0.CO;2-G>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
28Breyman, C (2001). Erythropoietin test methods. Bailliere's Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 14: 135–145.Google Scholar
29Jaussaud, P, Audran, M, Gareau, RL, Souillard, A and Chavanet, L (1994). Kinetics and haematological effects of erythropoietin in horses. Veterinary Research 25: 1–7.Google ScholarPubMed
30Souillard, A, Audran, M, Bressolle, F, Jaussaud, P and Gareau, R (1996). Pharmacokinetics and haematological parameters of recombinant human erythropoietin after subcutaneous administrations in horses. Biopharmaceutics and Drug Disposition 17: 805–815.3.0.CO;2-H>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
31Boning, D, Maassen, N, Jochum, F, Steinacker, J, Halder, A, Thomas, A et al. (1997). After-effects of a high altitude expedition on blood. International Journal of Sports Medicine 18: 179–185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
32McKeever, KH and Hinchcliff, K (1995). Neuroendocrine control of blood volume, blood pressure, and cardiovas-cular function in horses. Equine Veterinary Journal Supplement 18: 77–81.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
33McKeever, K, McNally, B, Kirby, K, Farris, J and Hinchcliff, K (1993). Effect of erythropoietin on plasma and red cell volume, VO2 max, and hemodynamics in exercising horses. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise 25: S25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
34MacDougall, I, Roberts, D, Coles, G and Williams, J (1991). Clinical pharmacokinetics of epoetin (recombinant human erythropoietin). Clinical Pharmacokinetics 20: 99–113.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
35Gledhill, N (1985). The influence of altered blood volume and oxygen transport capacity on aerobic performance. Exercise and Sports Science Reviews 13: 75–93.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
36Spriet, LL (1991). Blood doping and oxygen transport. In: Lamb, DR and Williams, MH (eds) Perspectives in Exercise Science and Sports Medicine Volume 4: Ergogenics – Enhancement of Athletic Performance, Chapter 6.Silverwater, Indianapolis, IN, NSW: Benchmark Press, pp. 213–248.Google Scholar
37Poole, DC (1997). Influence of exercise training on skeletal muscle oxygen delivery and utilization. In: Crystal, RG, West, JB, Weibel, ER and Barnes, PJ (eds) The Lung: Scientific Foundations. New York, NY: Raven Press, pp. 1957–1967.Google Scholar
38Shoemaker, JK, Green, HJ, Coates, J, Ali, M and Grant, S (1999). Failure of prolonged exercise training to increase red cell mass in humans. American Journal of Physiology 270: H121–H126.Google Scholar
39Shaskey, DJ and Green, GA (2000). Sports haematology. Sports Medicine 29: 27–38.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
40Convertino, VA (1991). Blood volume: its adaptation to endurance training. Medicine Science Sports Exercise 23: 1338–1348.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
41Richalet, JP, Rivera-Ch, M, Maignan, M, Privat, C, Pham, I, Macarlupu, JL et al. (2008). Acetazolamide for Monge's disease: efficiency and tolerance of 6-month treatment. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 177: 1370–1376.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
42Langsetmo, I and Poole, DC (1999). VO2 recovery kinetics in the horse following moderate, heavy and severe exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology 86: 1170–1177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
43McDonough, P, Kindig, CA, Erickson, HH and Poole, DC (2002). Mechanistic basis for the gas exchange threshold in the Thoroughbred horse. Journal of Applied Physiology 92: 1499–1505.CrossRefGoogle Scholar