Artery Research

Volume 12, Issue C, December 2015, Pages 29 - 29

P6.20 ROLE OF ALTERED VASCULAR REACTIVITY IN THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS

Authors
Rosa Maria Bruno*1, Guido Giardini3, Sandro Malacrida2, Bruna Catuzzo3, Sabina Armenia4, Lorenzo Ghiadoni4, Raffaele Brustia5, Paolo Laveder2, Paolo Salvi6, Emmanuel Cauchy7, Lorenza Pratali1
1Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy
2University of Padua, Padua, Italy
3Valle d’Aosta Regional Hospital, Aosta, Italy
4University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
5Hôpital Saint-Antoine, Paris, France
6Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
7IFREMMONT, Chamonix, France
Available Online 23 November 2015.
DOI
10.1016/j.artres.2015.10.304How to use a DOI?
Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to explore the physiological vascular adaptation to exposure to high altitude and to test the hypothesis that its impairment might play a role in the pathophysiology of acute mountain sickness (AMS).

Methods: 34 healthy volunteers (age 38±11years, 13 women) were studied at the sea-level and after passive ascent to 3842 m (Aguille du Midi, France). Blood pressure (BP), O2 saturation (SO2), endothelial function (flow-mediated dilation, FMD), carotid distensibility coefficient (DC), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), peak systolic velocity in the middle cerebral artery (MCA-PSV) were performed at sea level (T0) and after 4-h hypobaric hypoxia (T1). AMS was defined as a Lake-Louise Score>5 after 24-h hypobaric hypoxia (T2).

Results: At T2 12 individuals developed AMS (AMS+). AMS+ had a greater SO2 worsening at T1 as compared to AMS- (AMS+: 97.2±1.2 to 79.3±5.8%; AMS-: 97.3±1.2 to 83.1 ± 5.7%, p=0.03), with similar heart rate increase and unchanged BP. FMD was significantly reduced in AMS+ (5.75±3.01 to 3.27±1.87%, p=0.04), but not in AMS- (4.74±2.47 to 4.02±2.36%). Mean carotid diameter was increased at T1 in both groups. DC tended to be increased in AMS- but not in AMS+, while PWV was unchanged. MCA-PSV was increased in AMS-, but not in AMS+.

Conclusions: In healthy asymptomatic individuals exposed to high altitude, conduit artery endothelial function is preserved in the cerebral district vasodilatation, increased elasticity and blood flow occurs. This compensatory response is early blunted in AMS+, before symptoms onset, thus suggesting a pathogenetic role.

Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

Journal
Artery Research
Volume-Issue
12 - C
Pages
29 - 29
Publication Date
2015/11/23
ISSN (Online)
1876-4401
ISSN (Print)
1872-9312
DOI
10.1016/j.artres.2015.10.304How to use a DOI?
Open Access
This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC license.

Cite this article

TY  - JOUR
AU  - Rosa Maria Bruno*
AU  - Guido Giardini
AU  - Sandro Malacrida
AU  - Bruna Catuzzo
AU  - Sabina Armenia
AU  - Lorenzo Ghiadoni
AU  - Raffaele Brustia
AU  - Paolo Laveder
AU  - Paolo Salvi
AU  - Emmanuel Cauchy
AU  - Lorenza Pratali
PY  - 2015
DA  - 2015/11/23
TI  - P6.20 ROLE OF ALTERED VASCULAR REACTIVITY IN THE PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF ACUTE MOUNTAIN SICKNESS
JO  - Artery Research
SP  - 29
EP  - 29
VL  - 12
IS  - C
SN  - 1876-4401
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2015.10.304
DO  - 10.1016/j.artres.2015.10.304
ID  - Bruno*2015
ER  -