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1 Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, United States
2 Instituto Boliviano de Biologia de Altura, Universidad Mayor de San Andres, La Paz, Bolivia
3 Instituto Boliviano de Biologia de Altura, Universidad Mayor de San Andres, La Paz, Bolivia; La Paz, Bolivia
4 Altitude Research Center, Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Science Center, Denver, Colorado, United States
5 Department of Anthropology, Genetics Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, United States
6 Pediatrics/Neonatology, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, United States
7 State College, Pennsylvania, United States; Department of Anthropology, Genetics Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pennsylvania, United States
8 Altitude Research Center and Department of Health and Behavioral Sciences, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, United States
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Megan.Wilson{at}UCHSC.edu.
Multigenerational (Andean) compared with shorter-term (European) high-altitude residents exhibit less hypoxia-associated reductions in birthweight. Since differences in arterial O2 content are not responsible, we asked if greater pregnancy-associated increases in uterine artery (UA) blood flow and O2 delivery were involved. Serial studies were conducted in 42 Andean and 26 European residents of La Paz, Bolivia (3600m) at weeks 20, 30, 36 of pregnancy and 4 mo postpartum using Doppler ultrasound. There were no differences postpartum but Andean vs. European women had greater UA diameter (0.65+0.01 vs. 0.56+0.01cm), cross-sectional area (33.1+0.97 vs. 24.7+1.18mm2) and blood flow at week 36 ( 743+87 vs. 474+36mL/min) (all p<0.05) and thus 1.6-fold greater uteroplacental O2 delivery near term (126.82±18.47 vs. 80.33±8.69 mLO2/mLblood/min, p<0.05). Andeans had greater common iliac (CI) flow and lower external iliac relative to CI flow (0.52+0.11 vs. 0.95+0.14, p<0.05) than Europeans at week 36. After adjusting for gestational age, maternal height and parity, Andean babies weighed 209gm more than the Europeans. Greater UA cross-sectional area at week 30 related positively to birthweight in Andeans (r=+0.39) but negatively in Europeans (r=-0.37) (both p<0.01). We concluded that greater pregnancy-associated increase in UA diameter raised UA blood flow and uteroplacental O2 delivery in the Andeans, and contributed to their ability to maintain normal fetal growth under conditions of high-altitude hypoxia. These data implicate the involvement of genetic factors in protecting multigenerational populations from hypoxia-associated reductions in fetal growth, but future studies are required for confirmation and identification of the specific genes involved.
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  C. G. Julian, M. J. Wilson, M. Lopez, H. Yamashiro, W. Tellez, A. Rodriguez, A. W. Bigham, M. D. Shriver, C. Rodriguez, E. Vargas, et al. Augmented uterine artery blood flow and oxygen delivery protect Andeans from altitude-associated reductions in fetal growth Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, May 1, 2009; 296(5): R1564 - R1575. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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C. G. Julian, H. L. Galan, M. J. Wilson, W. DeSilva, D. Cioffi-Ragan, J. Schwartz, and L. G. Moore Lower uterine artery blood flow and higher endothelin relative to nitric oxide metabolite levels are associated with reductions in birth weight at high altitude Am J Physiol Regulatory Integrative Comp Physiol, September 1, 2008; 295(3): R906 - R915. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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