Adrenal, thyroid and gonadal axes are affected at high altitude
Humans cannot live at very high altitude for reasons, which are not completely understood. Since these reasons are not restricted to cardiorespiratory changes alone, changes in the endocrine system might also be involved. Therefore, hormonal changes during prolonged hypobaric hypoxia were comprehens...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Bioscientifica
2018-10-01
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| Series: | Endocrine Connections |
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| Online Access: | https://ec.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/ec/7/10/EC-18-0242.xml |
| _version_ | 1818655475258884096 |
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| author | M von Wolff C T Nakas M Tobler T M Merz M P Hilty J D Veldhuis A R Huber J Pichler Hefti |
| author_facet | M von Wolff C T Nakas M Tobler T M Merz M P Hilty J D Veldhuis A R Huber J Pichler Hefti |
| author_sort | M von Wolff |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Humans cannot live at very high altitude for reasons, which are not completely understood. Since these reasons are not restricted to cardiorespiratory changes alone, changes in the endocrine system might also be involved. Therefore, hormonal changes during prolonged hypobaric hypoxia were comprehensively assessed to determine effects of altitude and hypoxia on stress, thyroid and gonadal hypothalamus–pituitary hormone axes. Twenty-one male and 19 female participants were examined repetitively during a high-altitude expedition. Cortisol, prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), fT4 and fT3 and in males follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and total testosterone were analysed as well as parameters of hypoxemia, such as SaO2 and paO2 at 550 m (baseline) (n = 40), during ascent at 4844 m (n = 38), 6022 m (n = 31) and 7050 m (n = 13), at 4844 m (n = 29) after acclimatization and after the expedition (n = 38). Correlation analysis of hormone concentrations with oxygen parameters and with altitude revealed statistical association in most cases only with altitude. Adrenal, thyroid and gonadal axes were affected by increasing altitude. Adrenal axis and prolactin were first supressed at 4844 m and then activated with increasing altitude; thyroid and gonadal axes were directly activated or suppressed respectively with increasing altitude. Acclimatisation at 4844 m led to normalization of adrenal and gonadal but not of thyroid axes. In conclusion, acclimatization partly leads to a normalization of the adrenal, thyroid and gonadal axes at around 5000 m. However, at higher altitude, endocrine dysregulation is pronounced and might contribute to the physical degradation found at high altitude. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T03:10:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-65f2cf37e2e64e4284f2c64b40d59835 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2049-3614 2049-3614 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T03:10:17Z |
| publishDate | 2018-10-01 |
| publisher | Bioscientifica |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Endocrine Connections |
| spelling | doaj.art-65f2cf37e2e64e4284f2c64b40d598352022-12-21T22:05:51ZengBioscientificaEndocrine Connections2049-36142049-36142018-10-0171010811089https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-18-0242Adrenal, thyroid and gonadal axes are affected at high altitudeM von Wolff0C T Nakas1M Tobler2T M Merz3M P Hilty4J D Veldhuis5A R Huber6J Pichler Hefti7Division of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University Women’s Hospital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandUniversity Institute of Clinical Chemistry, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Laboratory of Biometry, University of Thessaly, Volos, GreeceDivision of Gynaecological Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine, University Women’s Hospital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Division of Pneumology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandDivision of Intensive Care Medicine, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandIntensive Care Unit, University Hospital, Zurich, SwitzerlandEndocrine Research Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education, Centre for Translational Science Activities, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, New York, USACentre for Laboratory Medicine, Cantonal Hospital, Aarau, SwitzerlandDivision of Pneumology, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, SwitzerlandHumans cannot live at very high altitude for reasons, which are not completely understood. Since these reasons are not restricted to cardiorespiratory changes alone, changes in the endocrine system might also be involved. Therefore, hormonal changes during prolonged hypobaric hypoxia were comprehensively assessed to determine effects of altitude and hypoxia on stress, thyroid and gonadal hypothalamus–pituitary hormone axes. Twenty-one male and 19 female participants were examined repetitively during a high-altitude expedition. Cortisol, prolactin, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), fT4 and fT3 and in males follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and total testosterone were analysed as well as parameters of hypoxemia, such as SaO2 and paO2 at 550 m (baseline) (n = 40), during ascent at 4844 m (n = 38), 6022 m (n = 31) and 7050 m (n = 13), at 4844 m (n = 29) after acclimatization and after the expedition (n = 38). Correlation analysis of hormone concentrations with oxygen parameters and with altitude revealed statistical association in most cases only with altitude. Adrenal, thyroid and gonadal axes were affected by increasing altitude. Adrenal axis and prolactin were first supressed at 4844 m and then activated with increasing altitude; thyroid and gonadal axes were directly activated or suppressed respectively with increasing altitude. Acclimatisation at 4844 m led to normalization of adrenal and gonadal but not of thyroid axes. In conclusion, acclimatization partly leads to a normalization of the adrenal, thyroid and gonadal axes at around 5000 m. However, at higher altitude, endocrine dysregulation is pronounced and might contribute to the physical degradation found at high altitude.https://ec.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/ec/7/10/EC-18-0242.xmlcortisolprolactinTSHfT3fT4follicle-stimulation hormoneluteinizing hormonetestosteronealtitudehypobaric hypoxia |
| spellingShingle | M von Wolff C T Nakas M Tobler T M Merz M P Hilty J D Veldhuis A R Huber J Pichler Hefti Adrenal, thyroid and gonadal axes are affected at high altitude Endocrine Connections cortisol prolactin TSH fT3 fT4 follicle-stimulation hormone luteinizing hormone testosterone altitude hypobaric hypoxia |
| title | Adrenal, thyroid and gonadal axes are affected at high altitude |
| title_full | Adrenal, thyroid and gonadal axes are affected at high altitude |
| title_fullStr | Adrenal, thyroid and gonadal axes are affected at high altitude |
| title_full_unstemmed | Adrenal, thyroid and gonadal axes are affected at high altitude |
| title_short | Adrenal, thyroid and gonadal axes are affected at high altitude |
| title_sort | adrenal thyroid and gonadal axes are affected at high altitude |
| topic | cortisol prolactin TSH fT3 fT4 follicle-stimulation hormone luteinizing hormone testosterone altitude hypobaric hypoxia |
| url | https://ec.bioscientifica.com/view/journals/ec/7/10/EC-18-0242.xml |
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