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. 2017 Dec 22;7(1):18090.
doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-18212-1.

Lack of acclimatization to chronic hypoxia in humans in the Antarctica

Simone Porcelli  1 , Mauro Marzorati  2 , Beth Healey  3 , Laura Terraneo  4 , Alessandra Vezzoli  1 , Silvia Della Bella  5   6 , Roberto Dicasillati  7 , Michele Samaja  4
Affiliations

Lack of acclimatization to chronic hypoxia in humans in the Antarctica

Simone Porcelli et al. Sci Rep. .

Erratum in

Abstract

The study was carried out at Concordia Station (Antarctic Plateau). The aim was to investigate the respiratory and haematological responses to hypoxia in healthy subjects living at constant altitude. Thirteen men and women (34.1 ± 3.1 years) were exposed for 10 months to hypobaric hypoxia (oxygen level equivalent to 3800 m asl). These unique conditions enable a greater accuracy of monitoring human responses to chronic hypoxia than can be achieved elsewhere. Blood haemoglobin and erythropoietin concentrations were determined at sea level (Pre), and after 3, 7, 20, 90 and 300 days at altitude. Blood gas analysis, base excess and arterial oxygen saturation were measured at Pre, and after 150 and 300 days at altitude. Erythropoietin returned quickly to baseline level after a transient increase in the first days. Blood haemoglobin concentration started increasing at day 7 and remained markedly higher for the entire duration of the mission. At day 150 the blood carbon dioxide partial pressure was markedly reduced, and consequently blood pH remained higher at negative base excess until day 300. The arterial oxygen saturation remained lower than Pre throughout. In conclusion, humans display little capacity of hypoxia acclimatization even after ten months of constant exposure to low oxygen partial pressure.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Whisker plots representing the 10–90% percentile (upper and lower frames of the box) and range (bars) for the variables measured in this study. The plus sign and the horizontal bars within each whisker represent the mean and the median, respectively. The P values of the one-way ANOVA are also shown. The symbols *, ** and *** represent P < 0.05, P < 0.005 and P < 0.0005, respectively, vs Pre (Dunnett’s multiple comparison test), ns = not significant (P > 0.05), n = 13 for all points.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Whisker plots representing the 10–90% percentile (upper and lower frames of the box) and range (bars) for the variables measured in this study. The plus sign and the horizontal bars within each whisker represent the mean and the median, respectively. The P values of the one-way ANOVA are also shown. The symbols ** and *** represent P < 0.005 and P < 0.0005, respectively, vs Pre (Dunnett’s multiple comparison test), ns = not significant (P > 0.05), n = 13 for all points.
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