Abstract
BackgroundLeukocyte telomere length has been shown to be associated with life span. Hypoxia-associated changes of telomere length have been detected in cell cultures, but no in vivo studies have reported the changes of telomere length under different hypoxic conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of altitude on telomere length in rat leukocytes.MethodsOne hundred and ten male Wistar rats were randomized into 3 groups and maintained at sea-level (altitude of 10 m) (SL group, n = 10), moderate altitude (2,260 m) (MA group, n = 50), or simulated high altitude (5,000 m (SHA group, n = 50). The last two groups were further divided into 5 subgroups and exposed to hypoxia for 1, 3, 7, 15, or 30 days (n = 10). The leukocyte telomere length, hemoglobin concentration, red blood cell count, hematocrit, and plasma levels of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) were measured.ResultsLeukocyte telomere length was significantly longer in the MA group than in the SL or SHA groups, and the TERT expression changed in a similar manner as the leukocyte telomere length. However, HIF-1α level was significantly higher in both MA and SHA groups than the SL group. SOD level was decreased and MDA level was elevated in SHA group.ConclusionsThe telomere length of blood leukocytes is elongated at a moderate altitude, but not at a high altitude. A mild hypoxic state may increase telomere length.
Highlights
Leukocyte telomere length has been shown to be associated with life span
Hematological changes in rats exposed to different altitude We found that the rats in simulated high altitude (SHA) group had reduced food intake and physical activity, and their body weights increased at a slower rate than those in the moderate altitude (MA) group (Figure 1A)
The main difference was that in the MA group, telomere length was significantly elongated on the first day, and shortened to a level that was still longer than that in the SL group; whereas in the SHA group, the telomere length was slightly elongated on the first day, and shortened to a level that was almost the same as that in the SL group
Summary
Leukocyte telomere length has been shown to be associated with life span. Leukocyte telomere length was shown to be positively related to life span, thereby making it a potential indicator of longevity [5]. Telomere length has been shown to vary considerably among different hypoxia levels and cell types [12,13,14]. Most of these studies are in vitro, and few studies have investigated the effects of hypoxia on telomere length in vivo
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