The Effect of Intermittent Hypobaric Hypoxia Exposure on Reduced-Glutathione Level in Rat Lung and Renal Tissues

Hypobaric hypoxia is basically a hypoxia condition experienced in high altitude commonly during flight, that increase reactive oxygen species (ROS). When hypoxia hypobaric does not undergo continuation or in other word, intermittent, it will cause adaptation response in a form of protection mode into ROS. Moreover, ROS could be eliminated by reduced-glutathione (GSH) as an endogenous non enzymatic antioxidant. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyze the effects of intermittent hypobaric hypoxia exposure on GSH level in rat lung and renal tissue. Lung and renal samples were collected from 6–8 weeks old male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 150–200 g, previously exposed 1–4 times to intermittent hypobaric hypoxia in 35,000 ft (1 minute), 25.000 ft (5 minute) and 18,000 ft altitude (25 minute). Afterwards, GSH level was calculated from lung and renal extracts using the Ellman’s method. In lung tissues, GSH level was decreased in hypoxia 1×, 2×, 3×, 4× treatment, and were significant between the control–hypoxia 3×, control–hypoxia 4×, hypoxia 1×–hypoxia 3× and hypoxia 1×–hypoxia 4×. On the contrary, GSH level was increased in renal tissues on hypoxia 1× and hypoxia 2× treatment compared to control. Nevertheless, GSH level was decreased after 3× treatment and found almost stabilized at 4× treatment of hypoxia in renal tissues. Intermittent hypobaric hypoxia exposure affect GSH in rat lung and renal tissues with varying level as an adaptive response system.