Allison J Janocha1, Suzy A A Comhair1, Buddha Basnyat2, Maniraj Neupane3, Amha Gebremedhin4, Anam Khan1, Kristin S Ricci1, Renliang Zhang5, Serpil C Erzurum1,6, Cynthia M Beall7. 1. Department of Pathobiology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, 44195. 2. Oxford University Clinical Research Unit-Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal. 3. Mountain Medicine Society of Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal. 4. Department of Internal Medicine, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. 5. Research Core Services, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, 44195. 6. Respiratory Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, 44195. 7. Department of Anthropology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: People living at high altitude experience unavoidable low oxygen levels (hypoxia). While acute hypoxia causes an increase in oxidative stress and damage despite higher antioxidant activity, the consequences of chronic hypoxia are poorly understood. The aim of the present study is to assess antioxidant activity and oxidative damage in high-altitude natives and upward migrants. METHODS: Individuals from two indigenous high-altitude populations (Amhara, n = 39), (Sherpa, n = 34), one multigenerational high-altitude population (Oromo, n = 42), one upward migrant population (Nepali, n = 12), and two low-altitude reference populations (Amhara, n = 29; Oromo, n = 18) provided plasma for measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as a marker of antioxidant capacity, and urine for measurement of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as a marker of DNA oxidative damage. RESULTS: High-altitude Amhara and Sherpa had the highest SOD activity, while highland Oromo and Nepalis had the lowest among high-altitude populations. High-altitude Amhara had the lowest DNA damage, Sherpa intermediate levels, and high-altitude Oromo had the highest. CONCLUSIONS: High-altitude residence alone does not associate with high antioxidant defenses; residence length appears to be influential. The single-generation upward migrant sample had the lowest defense and nearly the highest DNA damage. The two high-altitude resident samples with millennia of residence had higher defenses than the two with multiple or single generations of residence.
OBJECTIVES:People living at high altitude experience unavoidable low oxygen levels (hypoxia). While acute hypoxia causes an increase in oxidative stress and damage despite higher antioxidant activity, the consequences of chronic hypoxia are poorly understood. The aim of the present study is to assess antioxidant activity and oxidative damage in high-altitude natives and upward migrants. METHODS: Individuals from two indigenous high-altitude populations (Amhara, n = 39), (Sherpa, n = 34), one multigenerational high-altitude population (Oromo, n = 42), one upward migrant population (Nepali, n = 12), and two low-altitude reference populations (Amhara, n = 29; Oromo, n = 18) provided plasma for measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity as a marker of antioxidant capacity, and urine for measurement of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) as a marker of DNA oxidative damage. RESULTS: High-altitude Amhara and Sherpa had the highest SOD activity, while highland Oromo and Nepalis had the lowest among high-altitude populations. High-altitude Amhara had the lowest DNA damage, Sherpa intermediate levels, and high-altitude Oromo had the highest. CONCLUSIONS: High-altitude residence alone does not associate with high antioxidant defenses; residence length appears to be influential. The single-generation upward migrant sample had the lowest defense and nearly the highest DNA damage. The two high-altitude resident samples with millennia of residence had higher defenses than the two with multiple or single generations of residence.
Authors: Brian D Hoit; Nancy D Dalton; Amha Gebremedhin; Allison Janocha; Peter A Zimmerman; Allison M Zimmerman; Kingman P Strohl; Serpil C Erzurum; Cynthia M Beall Journal: Am J Hum Biol Date: 2010-12-22 Impact factor: 1.937
Authors: Choongwon Jeong; Gorka Alkorta-Aranburu; Buddha Basnyat; Maniraj Neupane; David B Witonsky; Jonathan K Pritchard; Cynthia M Beall; Anna Di Rienzo Journal: Nat Commun Date: 2014 Impact factor: 14.919
Authors: Gorka Alkorta-Aranburu; Cynthia M Beall; David B Witonsky; Amha Gebremedhin; Jonathan K Pritchard; Anna Di Rienzo Journal: PLoS Genet Date: 2012-12-06 Impact factor: 5.917
Authors: Anna Ziomkiewicz; Amelia Sancilio; Andrzej Galbarczyk; Magdalena Klimek; Grazyna Jasienska; Richard G Bribiescas Journal: PLoS One Date: 2016-01-13 Impact factor: 3.240