Meeting Abstract

15.2  Tuesday, Jan. 4  Effects of High Altitude on Lung Surfactant Lipids in Peromyscus maniculatus DIAZ, S.*; HAMMOND, K.; ORGEIG, S.; University of California, Riverside; University of California, Riverside; University of South Australia soniadiaz01@gmail.com

High altitude is one environment where the physiology of the lung might be altered to enhance function, which would be crucial for an organism’s survival. The pulmonary surfactant system is a complex mixture of lipids (mainly phospholipids) and proteins, which play a major role in reducing the surface tension at the air-liquid interface found within the lung. Thus, lung surfactant maintains the patency and proper functioning of the lung. Lower partial pressures of oxygen at high altitude could potentially pose a challenge to the functioning of the surfactant system and may require the surfactant system to alter its composition in order to maintain lung stability. We propose to determine the effects of acclimation to high altitude on the pulmonary surfactant system in adult deer mice, Peromyscus maniculatus, by characterizing and quantifying their surfactant lipid profile. We predict that total lipid amounts and quantities of individual lipids will increase relative to mice at low altitude. Preliminary results show that mice acclimated to high altitude have 20.5% greater dry lung mass and 23% lower levels of total phospholipids, as compared to low altitude controls. Additionally, individual phospholipids were quantified and are present at lower levels in mice acclimated to high altitude. These results suggest that high altitude hypoxia may be causing lipid peroxidation, but its physiological significance cannot be determined until the surfactant proteins are analyzed, since both surfactant lipids and proteins work in unison to maintain lung function.