Effect of Hypoxia on Ldh-c Expression in Somatic Cells of Plateau Pika

Dengbang Wei, Linna Wei, Xiao Li, Yang Wang and Lian Wei
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Dengbang Wei: State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 10743, China
Linna Wei: College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 10743, China
Xiao Li: College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 10743, China
Yang Wang: College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 10743, China
Lian Wei: College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 10743, China

IJERPH, 2016, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-11

Abstract: Sperm specific lactate dehydrogenases (LDH-C 4 ) is a lactate dehydrogenase that catalyzes the conversion of pyruvate to lactate. In mammals, Ldh-c was originally thought to be expressed only in testes and spermatozoa. Plateau pika ( Ochotona curzoniae ), which belongs to the genus Ochotona of the Ochotonidea family, is a hypoxia-tolerant mammal living 3000–5000 m above sea level on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, an environment which is strongly hypoxic. Ldh-c is expressed not only in testes and sperm, but also in the somatic tissues of plateau pika. To reveal the effect of hypoxia on pika Ldh-c expression, we investigated the mRNA and protein level of Ldh-c as well as the biochemical index of anaerobic glycolysis in pika somatic tissues at the altitudes of 2200 m, 3200 m and 3900 m. Our results showed that mRNA and protein expression levels of Ldh-c in the tissues of pika’s heart, liver, brain and skeletal muscle were increased significantly from 2200 m to 3200 m, but had no difference from 3200 m to 3900 m; the activities of LDH and the contents of lactate showed no difference from 2200 m to 3200 m, but were increased significantly from 3200 m to 3900 m. Hypoxia up-regulated and maintained the expression levels of Ldh-c in the pika somatic cells. Under the hypoxia condition, plateau pikas increased anaerobic glycolysis in somatic cells by LDH-C 4 , and that may have reduced their dependence on oxygen and enhanced their adaptation to the hypoxic environment.

Keywords: Ldh-c; plateau pika ( Ochotona curzoniae ); hypoxia; altitude; Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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