Characteristics of Tibetan pig lung tissue in response to a hypoxic environment on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Abstract

To adapt to the plateau environment, Tibetan pigs' lungs have developed a unique physiological mechanism during evolution. The vascular corrosion casting technique and scanning electron microscopy were used to understand arterial architecture. Blood physiological index and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) were used for assessing whether the lung can regulate the body through anatomical, physiological and molecular mechanisms to adapt to hypoxic environments. Our study showed that the lungs of Tibetan pigs were heavier and wider and that the pulmonary arteries were thicker and branched and had a denser vascular network than those of Landrace pigs. The hemoglobin (HGB), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) values of high-altitude pigs were significantly higher than those of low-altitude pigs. The expression levels of HIF-1α, EPAS1, EPO and VEGF, but not those of eNOS and EGLN1, were significantly higher in the lungs of high-altitude pigs than in those from pigs at a lower altitude (P<0.05). These findings and a comprehensive analysis help elucidate the pulmonary mechanism of hypoxic adaptation in pigs.