FemHab : The effects of bed rest and hypoxia on oxidative stress in healthy women

• Independently, both inactivity and hypoxia augment oxidative stress. This study, part of the FemHab project, investigated the combined effects of bed rest-induced unloading and hypoxic exposure on oxidative stress and antioxidant status. Healthy, eumenorrheic women were randomly assigned to the following three 10-day experimental interventions: normoxic bed rest (NBR; n = 11; PIO2 = 133 mmHg), normobaric hypoxic bed rest (HBR; n = 12; PIO2 = 90 mmHg), and ambulatory hypoxic confinement (HAMB; n = 8: PIO2 = 90 mmHg). Plasma samples, obtained before (Pre), during (D2, D6), immediately after (Post) and 24 h after (Post + 1) each intervention, were analyzed for oxidative stress markers [advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitrotyrosine], antioxidant status [ superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, ferric-reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and uric acid (UA)], NO metabolism end-products (NOx), and nitrites. Compared with baseline, AOPP increased in NBR and HBR on D2 (+ 14%; + 12%; P < 0.05), D6 (+ 19%; + 15%; P < 0.05), and Post (+ 22%; + 21%; P < 0.05), respectively. MDA increased at Post + 1 in NBR (+ 116%; P < 0.01) and D2 in HBR (+114%; P < 0.01) and HAMB (+ 95%; P < 0.05). Nitrotyrosine decreased (-45%; P < 0.05) and nitrites increased (+46%; P < 0.05) at Post + 1 in HAMB only. Whereas SOD was higher at D6 (+ 82%) and Post + 1 (+ 67%) in HAMB only, the catalase activity increased on D6 (128%) and Post (146%) in HBR and HAMB, respectively (P < 0.05). GPX was only reduced on D6 (- 20%; P < 0.01) and Post (- 18%; P < 0.05) in HBR. No differences were observed in FRAP and NOx. UA was higher at Post in HBR compared with HAMB (P < 0.05). These data indicate that exposure to combined inactivity and hypoxia impairs prooxidant/antioxidant balance in healthy women. Moreover, habitual activity levels, as opposed to inactivity, seem to blunt hypoxia-related oxidative stress via antioxidant system upregulation.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Fysiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Physiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

prooxidant

antioxidant

nitrosative stress

inactivity

normobaric hypoxia

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)