Impact of Short-Term Systemic Hypoxia on Phagocytosis, Cytokine Production, and Transcription Factor Activation in Peripheral Blood Cells

• Published in: Mediators of Inflammation 2011-01, Vol.2011 (2011), p.176-184
• Main Authors: Fritzenwanger, Michael, Jung, Christian, Goebel, Bjoern, Lauten, Alexander, Figulla, Hans Reiner
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Atmospheric Pressure; Biological and medical sciences; Blood cells; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - physiology; Cytokines; Cytokines - genetics; Cytokines - immunology; Development and progression; Erythropoietin - blood; Female; Fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate; Fluorescent Dyes; General aspects; Genetic aspects; Health aspects; Humans; Hypoxia; Hypoxia - genetics; Hypoxia - immunology; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit - blood; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit - genetics; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit - immunology; Lactic Acid - blood; Male; Medical sciences; Monocytes - physiology; Neutrophils - physiology; NF-kappa B p50 Subunit - genetics; NF-kappa B p50 Subunit - immunology; Phagocytosis; Phagocytosis - genetics; Phagocytosis - immunology; Physiological aspects; Transcription Factor RelA - genetics; Transcription Factor RelA - immunology; Transcription factors; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - blood; Young Adult; Zymosan - immunology; Zymosan - metabolism
• ISSN: 0962-9351; 1466-1861
• DOI: 10.1155/2011/429501

Hypoxia frequently associated with certain physiologic and pathologic conditions influences numerous cellular functions. Because the effects of short-term hypoxia are incompletely understood, we examined phagocytosis and cytokine production as well as the activation of the transcription factors HIF-1 and NFκB in peripheral blood cells of healthy volunteers exposed to an oxygen concentration equivalent to that found at a height of 5500 m. Furthermore, we analysed plasma HIF-1 and serum concentrations of various HIF-1-dependent genes. Results showed that short-term hypoxia increased phagocytosis in neutrophils without affecting monocyte phagocytosis. Hypoxia decreased basal TNFα concentration in monocytes and basal interferon γ concentration in CD4+ T lymphocytes. In contrast, plasma HIF and serum VEGF concentrations were not affected by hypoxia, although serum EPO concentration was raised. In PBMC, hypoxia increased cytosolic HIF-1 concentration without affecting nuclear HIF-1 concentration and led to a rise in the nuclear NFκB in PBMC. Our results show that short-term hypoxia affects immune functions in healthy individuals. Furthermore, we speculate that the effects of hypoxia are not due to HIF-1, but are caused by the activation of NFκB .