RUI: Maternal/Fetal Adaptation to High Altitude

在体质人类学中，对高原适应的研究已经有了很长的历史，并取得了丰硕的成果，以了解人类适应环境压力的机制。然而，我们对适应已经实现的程度和所涉及的进程的了解仍然支离破碎。这项研究项目的总体目的是确定高海拔居住时间较长的人群是否比居住时间较短的人群更好地适应环境，因为他们具有从血液中运输和/或提取氧气的优越能力。由于出生体重在高海拔地区降低，出生体重降低与婴儿死亡率增加相关，因此评估适应的一个重要标准是保存与低死亡风险相关的出生重量值。考虑到人们在科罗拉多州和西藏分别在高海拔地区生活了极短和极长时间的可能性，该项目将研究这两个地点的群体。这项研究将考察海拔与出生体重、出生体重与胎龄的关系，以及新生儿死亡的原因。此外，还建议对这两个部位的母体动脉血氧含量、子宫血流量和子宫供氧进行研究。研究方法包括记录和比较科罗拉多州约11万名新生儿和西藏约8000名新生儿的出生体重、胎龄和从出生和死亡证明中获得的其他数据。这项拟议的研究将能够确定藏族人是否受到海拔相关性胎儿生长迟缓的保护，并确定涉及的母体氧气运输的组成部分。

Studies of high altitude adaptation have had a long and productive history in physical anthropology in order to understand the mechanisms by which human populations adapt to environmental stress. Yet, our understanding of the extent to which adaptation has been achieved and the processes involved remains fragmentary. The overall purpose of this research project is to determine whether populations longer resident at high altitude are better adapted than shorter resident groups as a result of their superior abilities to transport and/or extract oxygen from the blood. Because birth weights are reduced at high altitude and decreased birth weight is associated with increased infant mortality, an important criterion for assessing adaptation is the preservation of birth weight values associated with low mortality risk. Given the likelihood that persons have lived at high altitude for exceedingly short and long periods of time in Colorado and Tibet respectively, this project will study groups at the two locales. The study will examine the relationship between altitude and birth weight, birth weight and gestational age, and the causes of neonatal deaths. In addition, studies of maternal arterial oxygen content, uterine blood flow, and uterine oxygen delivery are proposed for the two sites. Study methods include the recording and comparison of birth weight, gestational age and other data obtained from birth and death certificates on approximately 110,000 births in Colorado and from approximately 8000 births in Tibet. The proposed study will be able to determine whether or not Tibetans are protected from altitude- associated fetal growth retardation and to identify the components of maternal oxygen transport involved.