Endocrine Abstracts

Background: Effective acclimatization to high altitude involves a natriuresis and diuresis facilitated by a suppressed aldosterone. Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is common but poorly understood. A cardiac hormone, brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), is released primarily in response to cardiomyocyte stretch but animal models suggest BNP secretion is also stimulated by acute hypoxia. An increase in BNP causes a diuresis, natriuresis and a reduction in aldosterone. We hypothesized ...

High altitude exposure leads to a marked natriuresis and diuresis facilitated by a reduced resting and subdued post-exercise aldosterone. There is a strong correlation between aldosterone and cortisol at high altitude and although most, but not all, investigators report a rise in cortisol with ascent very little data exist regarding the post-exercise response in cortisol. We therefore measured salivary cortisol in a cohort of 45 subjects post-exercise and 20 subjects at rest w...

Acute mountain sickness (AMS) is common at high altitude (HA) and is associated with a relative failure of the natriuresis and diuresis that occurs at HA. The role of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in this context has not been thoroughly investigated. We aimed to clarify if BNP rises in response to exercise at HA and if so whether this is related to markers of acclimatization. Thirty-two healthy subjects had assessments of BNP, aldosterone and markers of HA acclimatization (a...