Abstract
The influences of both hypobaric hypoxia and cold on peripheral circulation were studied using the finger cooling test (measurement of the decrease in finger temperature, measured at the dorsal surface of the finger, during immersion of the hand in 0° C water for 20 min) at Qinghai Plateau. The same test was carried out at simulated altitudes in a 25° C climatic chamber to separate the hypobaric hypoxia influence from that of cold. In Japanese subjects at Qinghai Plateau there was a significant difference between finger skin temperatures (FSTs) during 20 min of 0° C water immersion at altitudes of 2260 m and 4860 m by ANOVA. Mean finger skin temperature during the 20-min immersion (5–20 min, MST) measured at 4860 m was significantly lower than that at 2260 m. In Tibetan subjects, there was also a significant difference between FSTs at 2260 m and at 4860 m by ANOVA. MST at 4860 m tended to be lower than that at 2260 m. In the 25° C climatic chamber, there was a significant difference between FSTs of Japanese expedition members at 2000 m and at 4000 m by ANOVA. MST was higher at 4000 m than at 2000 m, contrary to the data obtained in Qinghai. In conclusion, the higher skin temperature in response to local cold immersion, which would have been caused by stronger hypobaric hypoxia, must have been masked by the lower ambient temperature.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Borgia JF, Horvath SM (1977) Effects of acute prolonged hypoxia on cardiovascular dynamics in dogs. J Appl Physiol 43:784–789
Brennan PJ, Greenberg G, Miall WE, Thompson SG (1982) Seasonal variation in arterial blood pressure. Br Med J 285:919–923
Cipriano LF, Goldman RF (1975) Thermal responses of unclothed men exposed to both cold temperatures and high altitudes. J Appl Physiol 39:796–800
Eckstein JW, Horsley AW (1960) Effects of hypoxia on peripheral venous tone in man. J Lab Clin Med 56:847–853
Escourrou P, Johnson DG, Rowell LB (1984) Hypoxemia increases plasma catecholamine concentrations in exercising humans. J Appl Physiol 57:1507–1511
Gardner CA, Webb RC (1986) Cold-induced vasodilatation in isolated, perfused rat tail artery. Am J Physiol 251:H176-H181
Grant RT, Bland EF (1932) Observations on the vessels and nerves of the rabbit's ear with special reference to the reaction to cold. Heart 16:69–101
Greenleaf JE, Greenleaf CJ, Card DH, Saltin B (1969) Exercisetemperature regulation in man during acute exposure to simulated altitude. J Appl Physiol 26:290–296
Hata T, Ogihara T, Maruyama A, Mikami H, Nakamaru M, Naka T, Kumahara Y, Nugent CA (1982) The seasonal variation of blood pressure in patients with essential hypertension. Clin Exp Hypertens A4:341–354
Hoon RS, Sharma SC, Balasubramanian V, Chadha KS (1977) Urinary catecholamine excretion on induction to high altitude (3658 m) by air and road. J Appl Physiol 42:728–730
Johnson DG, Hayward JS, Jacobs TP, Collis ML, Eckerson JD, Williams RH (1977) Plasma norepinephrine responses of man in cold water. J Appl Physiol 43:216–220
Kottke FJ, Phalen JS, Taylor CB, Visscher MB, Evans GT (1948) Effect of hypoxia upon temperature regulation of mice, dogs, and man. Am J Physiol 153:10–15
Lakatua DJ, Nicolau GY, Bogdan C, Plinga L, Jachimowicz A, Sackett-Lundeen L, Petrescu E, Ungureanu E, Haus E (1987) Chronobiology of catecholamine excretion in different age groups. Prog Clin Biol Res 227B:31–50
Lewis T (1930) Observations upon the reactions of the vessels of the human skin to cold. Heart 15:177–208
McMurtry IF, Davidson AB, Reeves JT, Grover RF (1976) Inhibition of hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction by calcium antagonists in isolated rat lungs. Circ Res 38:99–104
Meyer AA, Webster AJF (1971) Cold-induced vasodilatation in the sheep. Can J Physiol Pharmacol 49:901–908
Rowell LB, Freund PR, Brengelmann GL (1982) Cutaneous vascular response to exercise and acute hypoxia. J Appl Physiol 53:920–924
Sakai A, Voelkel NF (1988) Dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate inhibits pulmonary vasoconstriction. Lung 166:221–231
Takeoka M (1990) Seasonal variation of cold-induced vasooscillation on rabbit ear central artery. Int J Biometeorol 34:170–174
Yamamoto T, Doi K, Takeuchi Y, Baba M, Tanaka M (1976) Seasonal variation of urinary excretion of total metanephrines. Clin Chim Acta 68:241–244
Yoshimura H, Iida T (1951) Studies on the reactivity of skin vessels to extreme cold. Part I. A point test on the resistance against frost bite. Jpn J Physiol 1:147–159
Zhang Y (1984) Mountain sickness. In: Zhang Y (ed) Mountain sickness (in Chinese). Qinghai People's Press, Xining, pp 16–21
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Takeoka, M., Yanagidaira, Y., Sakai, A. et al. Effects of high altitudes on finger cooling test in Japanese and Tibetans at Qinghai Plateau. Int J Biometeorol 37, 27–31 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01212763
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01212763