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International Journal of Molecular... Jan 2023High-altitude illnesses (HAIs) result from acute exposure to high altitude/hypoxia. Numerous molecular mechanisms affect appropriate acclimatization to hypobaric and/or... (Review)
Review
High-altitude illnesses (HAIs) result from acute exposure to high altitude/hypoxia. Numerous molecular mechanisms affect appropriate acclimatization to hypobaric and/or normobaric hypoxia and curtail the development of HAIs. The understanding of these mechanisms is essential to optimize hypoxic acclimatization for efficient prophylaxis and treatment of HAIs. This review aims to link outcomes of molecular mechanisms to either adverse effects of acute high-altitude/hypoxia exposure or the developing tolerance with acclimatization. After summarizing systemic physiological responses to acute high-altitude exposure, the associated acclimatization, and the epidemiology and pathophysiology of various HAIs, the article focuses on molecular adjustments and maladjustments during acute exposure and acclimatization to high altitude/hypoxia. Pivotal modifying mechanisms include molecular responses orchestrated by transcription factors, most notably hypoxia inducible factors, and reciprocal effects on mitochondrial functions and REDOX homeostasis. In addition, discussed are genetic factors and the resultant proteomic profiles determining these hypoxia-modifying mechanisms culminating in successful high-altitude acclimatization. Lastly, the article discusses practical considerations related to the molecular aspects of acclimatization and altitude training strategies.
Topics: Humans; Altitude; Proteomics; Altitude Sickness; Hypoxia; Acclimatization
PubMed: 36675214
DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021698 -
Autonomic Neuroscience : Basic &... Apr 2016Cold exposure in humans causes specific acute and chronic physiological responses. This paper will review both the acute and long-term physiological responses and... (Review)
Review
Cold exposure in humans causes specific acute and chronic physiological responses. This paper will review both the acute and long-term physiological responses and external factors that impact these physiological responses. Acute physiological responses to cold exposure include cutaneous vasoconstriction and shivering thermogenesis which, respectively, decrease heat loss and increase metabolic heat production. Vasoconstriction is elicited through reflex and local cooling. In combination, vasoconstriction and shivering operate to maintain thermal balance when the body is losing heat. Factors (anthropometry, sex, race, fitness, thermoregulatory fatigue) that influence the acute physiological responses to cold exposure are also reviewed. The physiological responses to chronic cold exposure, also known as cold acclimation/acclimatization, are also presented. Three primary patterns of cold acclimatization have been observed, a) habituation, b) metabolic adjustment, and c) insulative adjustment. Habituation is characterized by physiological adjustments in which the response is attenuated compared to an unacclimatized state. Metabolic acclimatization is characterized by an increased thermogenesis, whereas insulative acclimatization is characterized by enhancing the mechanisms that conserve body heat. The pattern of acclimatization is dependent on changes in skin and core temperature and the exposure duration.
Topics: Acclimatization; Adaptation, Physiological; Animals; Body Temperature Regulation; Cold Temperature; Fatigue; Humans; Vasoconstriction
PubMed: 26924539
DOI: 10.1016/j.autneu.2016.02.009 -
Annual Review of Marine Science Jan 2019Marine organisms' persistence hinges on the capacity for acclimatization and adaptation to the myriad of interacting environmental stressors associated with global... (Review)
Review
Marine organisms' persistence hinges on the capacity for acclimatization and adaptation to the myriad of interacting environmental stressors associated with global climate change. In this context, epigenetics-mechanisms that facilitate phenotypic variation through genotype-environment interactions-are of great interest ecologically and evolutionarily. Our comprehensive review of marine environmental epigenetics guides our recommendations of four key areas for future research: the dynamics of wash-in and wash-out of epigenetic effects, the mechanistic understanding of the interplay of different epigenetic marks and the interaction with the microbiome, the capacity for and mechanisms of transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, and the evolutionary implications of the interaction of genetic and epigenetic features. Emerging insights in marine environmental epigenetics can be applied to critical issues such as aquaculture, biomonitoring, and biological invasions, thereby improving our ability to explain and predict the responses of marine taxa to global climate change.
Topics: Acclimatization; Animals; Aquatic Organisms; Biological Evolution; Climate Change; Ecology; Environmental Pollution; Epigenesis, Genetic
PubMed: 29958066
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-marine-010318-095114 -
Sports Medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) Nov 2016Exercise performance and capacity are impaired in hot, compared to temperate, conditions. Heat adaptation (HA) is one intervention commonly adopted to reduce this... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Exercise performance and capacity are impaired in hot, compared to temperate, conditions. Heat adaptation (HA) is one intervention commonly adopted to reduce this impairment because it may induce beneficial exercise performance and physiological and perceptual adaptations. A number of investigations have been conducted on HA but, due to large methodological differences, the effectiveness of different HA regimens remain unclear.
OBJECTIVES
(1) To quantify the effect of different HA regimens on exercise performance and the physiological and perceptual responses to subsequent heat exposure. (2) To offer practical HA recommendations and suggestions for future HA research based upon a systematic and quantitative synthesis of the literature.
DATA SOURCE
PubMed was searched for original research articles published up to, and including, 16 February 2016 using appropriate first- and second-order search terms.
STUDY SELECTION
English-language, peer-reviewed, full-text original articles using human participants were reviewed using the four-stage process identified in the PRISMA statement.
DATA EXTRACTION
Data for the following variables were obtained from the manuscripts by at least two of the authors: participant sex, maximal oxygen consumption and age; HA duration, frequency, modality, temperature and humidity; exercise performance and capacity; core and skin temperature; heart rate, stroke volume, cardiac output, skin blood flow, sweat onset temperature, body mass loss, sweat rate, perception of thirst, volitional fluid consumption, plasma volume changes; sweat concentrations of sodium, chloride and potassium; aldosterone, arginine vasopressin, heat shock proteins (Hsp), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) and thermal sensation.
DATA GROUPING
Data were divided into three groups based upon the frequency of the HA regimen. Performance and capacity data were also divided into groups based upon the type of HA used.
DATA ANALYSES
Hedges' g effect sizes and 95 % confidence intervals were calculated. Correlations were run where appropriate.
RESULTS
Ninety-six articles were reviewed. The most common duration was 7-14 days and the most common method of HA was the controlled work-rate approach. HA had a moderately beneficial effect on exercise capacity and performance in the heat irrespective of regimen; however, longer regimens were more effective than shorter approaches. HA had a moderate-to-large beneficial effect on lowering core body temperature before and during exercise, maintaining cardiovascular stability, and improving heat-loss pathways. Data are limited but HA may reduce oxygen consumption during subsequent exercise, improve glycogen sparing, increase the power output at lactate threshold, reduce lactate concentrations during exercise, have a trivial effect on increasing extracellular concentrations of Hsp, and improve perceived ratings of exertion and thermal sensation.
CONCLUSION
HA regimens lasting <14 days induce many beneficial physiological and perceptual adaptations to high ambient temperatures, and improve subsequent exercise performance and capacity in the heat; however, the extent of the adaptations is greatest when HA regimens lasting longer than 14 days are adopted. Large methodological differences in the HA literature mean that there is still uncertainty regarding the magnitude and time course of potential adaptation for a number of physiological and perceptual variables.
Topics: Acclimatization; Body Temperature Regulation; Exercise; Hot Temperature; Humans; Thermotolerance
PubMed: 27106556
DOI: 10.1007/s40279-016-0538-5 -
The Journal of Experimental Biology Jun 2015Because of its profound effects on the rates of biological processes such as aerobic metabolism, environmental temperature plays an important role in shaping the... (Review)
Review
Because of its profound effects on the rates of biological processes such as aerobic metabolism, environmental temperature plays an important role in shaping the distribution and abundance of species. As temperature increases, the rate of metabolism increases and then rapidly declines at higher temperatures - a response that can be described using a thermal performance curve (TPC). Although the shape of the TPC for aerobic metabolism is often attributed to the competing effects of thermodynamics, which can be described using the Arrhenius equation, and the effects of temperature on protein stability, this account represents an over-simplification of the factors acting even at the level of single proteins. In addition, it cannot adequately account for the effects of temperature on complex multistep processes, such as aerobic metabolism, that rely on mechanisms acting across multiple levels of biological organization. The purpose of this review is to explore our current understanding of the factors that shape the TPC for aerobic metabolism in response to acute changes in temperature, and to highlight areas where this understanding is weak or insufficient. Developing a more strongly grounded mechanistic model to account for the shape of the TPC for aerobic metabolism is crucial because these TPCs are the foundation of several recent attempts to predict the responses of species to climate change, including the metabolic theory of ecology and the hypothesis of oxygen and capacity-limited thermal tolerance.
Topics: Acclimatization; Aerobiosis; Animals; Climate Change; Energy Metabolism; Oxygen; Temperature; Thermodynamics
PubMed: 26085663
DOI: 10.1242/jeb.118851 -
Journal of Applied Physiology... Nov 2017High altitudes (>8,000 ft or 2,500 m) provide an experiment of nature for measuring adaptation and the physiological processes involved. Studies conducted over the past... (Review)
Review
High altitudes (>8,000 ft or 2,500 m) provide an experiment of nature for measuring adaptation and the physiological processes involved. Studies conducted over the past ~25 years in Andeans, Tibetans, and, less often, Ethiopians show varied but distinct O transport traits from those of acclimatized newcomers, providing indirect evidence for genetic adaptation to high altitude. Short-term (acclimatization, developmental) and long-term (genetic) responses to high altitude exhibit a temporal gradient such that, although all influence O content, the latter also improve O delivery and metabolism. Much has been learned concerning the underlying physiological processes, but additional studies are needed on the regulation of blood flow and O utilization. Direct evidence of genetic adaptation comes from single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based genome scans and whole genome sequencing studies that have identified gene regions acted upon by natural selection. Efforts have begun to understand the connections between the two with Andean studies on the genetic factors raising uterine blood flow, fetal growth, and susceptibility to Chronic Mountain Sickness and Tibetan studies on genes serving to lower hemoglobin and pulmonary arterial pressure. Critical for future studies will be the selection of phenotypes with demonstrable effects on reproductive success, the calculation of actual fitness costs, and greater inclusion of women among the subjects being studied. The well-characterized nature of the O transport system, the presence of multiple long-resident populations, and relevance for understanding hypoxic disorders in all persons underscore the importance of understanding how evolutionary adaptation to high altitude has occurred. Variation in O transport characteristics among Andean, Tibetan, and, when available, Ethiopian high-altitude residents supports the existence of genetic adaptations that improve the distribution of blood flow to vital organs and the efficiency of O utilization. Genome scans and whole genome sequencing studies implicate a broad range of gene regions. Future studies are needed using phenotypes of clear relevance for reproductive success for determining the mechanisms by which naturally selected genes are acting.
Topics: Acclimatization; Altitude; Arterial Pressure; Ethiopia; Hemoglobins; Humans; Hypoxia; Oxygen; Phenotype; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Selection, Genetic; South America; Tibet
PubMed: 28860167
DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00321.2017 -
Molecular Ecology Mar 2022How individual organisms adapt to nonoptimal conditions through physiological acclimatization is central to predicting the consequences of unusual abiotic and biotic...
How individual organisms adapt to nonoptimal conditions through physiological acclimatization is central to predicting the consequences of unusual abiotic and biotic conditions such as those produced by marine heat waves. The Northeast Pacific, including the Gulf of Alaska, experienced an extreme warming event (2014-2016, "The Blob") that affected all trophic levels and led to large-scale changes in the community. The marine copepod Neocalanus flemingeri is a key member of the subarctic Pacific pelagic ecosystem. During the spring phytoplankton bloom this copepod builds substantial lipid stores as it prepares for its nonfeeding adult phase. A 3-year comparison of gene expression profiles of copepods collected in Prince William Sound in the Gulf of Alaska between 2015 and 2017 included two high-temperature years (2015 and 2016) and one year with very low phytoplankton abundances (2016). The largest differences in gene expression were between high and low chlorophyll years, and not between warm and cool years. The observed gene expression patterns were indicative of physiological acclimatization. The predominant signal in 2016 was the down-regulation of genes involved in glycolysis and its incoming pathways, consistent with the modulation of metabolic rates in response to prolonged low food conditions. Despite the down-regulation of genes involved in metabolism, there was no evidence of suppression of protein synthesis based on gene expression or behavioural activity. Genes involved in muscle function were up-regulated, and the copepods were actively swimming and responsive to stimuli at collection. However, genes involved in fatty acid metabolism were down-regulated in 2016, suggesting reduced lipid accumulation.
Topics: Acclimatization; Animals; Copepoda; Ecosystem; Phytoplankton; Zooplankton
PubMed: 35048451
DOI: 10.1111/mec.16354 -
Nature Ecology & Evolution Dec 2021
Topics: Acclimatization; Adaptation, Physiological; Agriculture
PubMed: 34725489
DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01594-x -
Journal of Applied Physiology... Mar 2016Studying "phenotypic plasticity" involves comparison of traits expressed in response to environmental fluctuations and aims to understand tolerance and survival in new... (Review)
Review
Studying "phenotypic plasticity" involves comparison of traits expressed in response to environmental fluctuations and aims to understand tolerance and survival in new settings. Reversible phenotypic changes that enable individuals to match their phenotype to environmental demands throughout life can be artificially induced, i.e., acclimation or occur naturally, i.e., acclimatization. The onset and achievement of acclimatory homeostasis are determined by molecular programs that induce the acclimated transcriptome. In heat acclimation, much evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms are powerful players in these processes. Epigenetic mechanisms affect the accessibility of the DNA to transcription factors, thereby regulating gene expression and controlling the phenotype. The heat-acclimated phenotype confers cytoprotection against novel stressors via cross-tolerance mechanisms, by attenuation of the initial damage and/or by accelerating spontaneous recovery through the release of help signals. This indispensable acclimatory feature has a memory and can be rapidly reestablished after the loss of acclimation and the return to the physiological preacclimated phenotype. The transcriptional landscape of the deacclimated phenotype includes constitutive transcriptional activation of epigenetic bookmarks. Heat shock protein (HSP) 70/HSP90/heat shock factor 1 memory protocol demonstrated constitutive histone H4 acetylation on hsp70 and hsp90 promotors. Novel players in the heat acclimation setup are poly(ADP-ribose)ribose polymerase 1 affecting chromatin condensation, DNA linker histones from the histone H1 cluster, and transcription factors associated with the P38 pathway. We suggest that these orchestrated responses maintain euchromatin and proteostasis during deacclimation and predispose to rapid reacclimation and cytoprotection. These mechanisms represent within-life epigenetic adaptations and cytoprotective memory.
Topics: Acclimatization; Animals; Cytoprotection; Epigenesis, Genetic; Heat-Shock Proteins; Hot Temperature; Humans; Transcription Factors; Transcriptional Activation; Transcriptome
PubMed: 26472869
DOI: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00552.2015 -
The Journal of Physiology Nov 2022Maturational differences exist in cardiopulmonary and cerebrovascular function at sea-level, but the impact of maturation on acclimatization responses to high altitude...
Maturational differences exist in cardiopulmonary and cerebrovascular function at sea-level, but the impact of maturation on acclimatization responses to high altitude is unknown. Ten children (9.8 ± 2.5 years) and 10 adults (34.7 ± 7.1 years) were assessed at sea-level (BL), 3000 m and twice over 4 days at 3800 m (B1, B4). Measurements included minute ventilation ( ), end-tidal partial pressures of oxygen ( ) and carbon dioxide, echocardiographic assessment of pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and stroke volume (SV) and ultrasound assessment of blood flow through the internal carotid and vertebral arteries was performed to calculate global cerebral blood flow (gCBF). At 3000 m, was increased from BL by 19.6 ± 19.1% (P = 0.031) in children, but not in adults (P = 0.835); SV was reduced in children (-11 ± 13%, P = 0.020) but not adults (P = 0.827), which was compensated for by a larger increase in heart rate in children (+26 beats min vs. +13 beats min , P = 0.019). Between B1 and B4, adults increased by 38.5 ± 34.7% (P = 0.006), while did not increase further in children. The rise in PASP was not different between groups; however, ∆PASP from BL was related to ∆ in adults (R = 0.288, P = 0.022), but not children. At BL, gCBF was 43% higher in children than adults (P = 0.017), and this difference was maintained at high altitude, with a similar pattern and magnitude of change in gCBF between groups (P = 0.845). Despite increasing in children but not adults at a lower altitude, the pulmonary vascular and cerebrovascular responses to prolonged hypoxia are similar between children and adults. KEY POINTS: Children have different ventilatory and metabolic requirements from adults, which may present differently in the pulmonary and cerebral vasculature upon ascent to high altitude. Children (ages 7-14) and adults (ages 23-44) were brought from sea level to high altitude (3000 to 3800 m) and changes in ventilation, pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP) and cerebral blood flow (CBF) were assessed over 1 week. Significant increases in ventilation and decreases in left ventricle stroke volume were observed at a lower altitude in children than adults. PASP and CBF increased by a similar relative amount between children and adults at 3800 m. These results help us better understand age-related differences in compensatory responses to prolonged hypoxia in children, despite similar changes in pulmonary artery pressure and CBF between children and adults.
Topics: Humans; Child; Adolescent; Young Adult; Adult; Blood Flow Velocity; Acclimatization; Altitude; Cerebrovascular Circulation; Hypoxia
PubMed: 36165275
DOI: 10.1113/JP283419