Abstract
To adapt to the plateau environment, Tibetan pigs' lungs have developed a unique physiological mechanism during evolution. The vascular corrosion casting technique and scanning electron microscopy were used to understand arterial architecture. Blood physiological index and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) were used for assessing whether the lung can regulate the body through anatomical, physiological and molecular mechanisms to adapt to hypoxic environments. Our study showed that the lungs of Tibetan pigs were heavier and wider and that the pulmonary arteries were thicker and branched and had a denser vascular network than those of Landrace pigs. The hemoglobin (HGB), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) values of high-altitude pigs were significantly higher than those of low-altitude pigs. The expression levels of HIF- 1 , EPAS1, EPO and VEGF, but not those of eNOSand EGLN1, were significantly higher in the lungs of high-altitude pigs than in those from pigs at a lower altitude ( ). These findings and a comprehensive analysis help elucidate the pulmonary mechanism of hypoxic adaptation in pigs.
Highlights
IntroductionTo adapt to high-altitude environments, indigenous animals have developed unique physiological mechanisms during the long process of evolution and have acquired stable structural and functional characteristics to ensure a sufficient oxygen supply in their tissues and cells under hypoxic conditions (Ishikawa et al, 2019; Patra et al, 2019; Zhao et al, 2019)
Hypoxia can trigger a series of stress reactions, such as metabolic disorders and tissue and cytomembrane damage (Jeong et al, 2018; Gan et al, 2019; Yanyu et al, 2019).To adapt to high-altitude environments, indigenous animals have developed unique physiological mechanisms during the long process of evolution and have acquired stable structural and functional characteristics to ensure a sufficient oxygen supply in their tissues and cells under hypoxic conditions (Ishikawa et al, 2019; Patra et al, 2019; Zhao et al, 2019)
The density of Tibetan pigs was significantly higher than that of Landrace pigs (P
Summary
To adapt to high-altitude environments, indigenous animals have developed unique physiological mechanisms during the long process of evolution and have acquired stable structural and functional characteristics to ensure a sufficient oxygen supply in their tissues and cells under hypoxic conditions (Ishikawa et al, 2019; Patra et al, 2019; Zhao et al, 2019). Tibetans have larger lungs and lower hemoglobin (HGB) concentrations than other groups, and the lungs of yaks and Tibetan sheep have larger pulmonary alveolar areas per unit area, thicker diameters, more branches and denser pulmonary artery networks than those of low-altitude animals (Wang et al, 2020; Moore et al, 2001; Qi et al, 2019).
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