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Background The plateau area has the environmental characteristics of low pressure and hypoxia, and the special geographical environmental characteristics have an impact on multiple systems of the body. The purpose of this study was to explore the changes in blood indicators of rats in a natural environment of low pressure and hypoxia on the plateau. Methods Twenty male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats aged 4 weeks were selected and transported to Chengdu area (approximately 450 m above sea level, 10 rats) and Yushu area (approximately 3800 m above sea level,10 rats) in two groups. They were defined as plain group and plateau group, respectively. They were raised to 28 weeks of age, and then transported to the plateau medical laboratory of Qinghai University. Blood index data were measured and the data of the two groups were statistically analyzed. Results 1. RBC in plateau group was higher than that in plain group, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05),Compared with the plain group, HGB, MCV, MCH, MCHC and RDW in the plateau group were significantly higher (P < 0.05).2. Compared with the plain group, WBC, LYMP, EO, LYMP% and EO% in the plateau group decreased significantly (P < 0.05), and ANC% increased significantly (P < 0.05), The ANC, MONO and BASO in the plateau group were lower than those in the plain group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05), The MONO% and BASO% in the plateau group were higher than those in the plain group, and the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). 3. In the platelet index, compared with the plain group, PLT in the plateau group was significantly reduced (P < 0.05), PDW, MRV, P-LCR were significantly increased (P < 0.05), and PCT in the plateau group was lower than that in the plain group, but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). 4. In blood biochemical indicators, compared with the plain group, AST, TBIL, IBIL, LDH in the plateau group decreased significantly (P < 0.05), CK in the plateau group increased significantly (P < 0.05), ALT, DBIL, Cr, TC in the plateau group decreased, with no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05), and ALT/AST, ALP in the plateau group increased, with no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). Conclusion 1. The indexes related to red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and some biochemical indexes in the blood of rats at high altitude have changed. 2. Under the high altitude low pressure and hypoxia environment, the oxygen carrying capacity of SD rats is improved, the resistance to disease may be reduced, the coagulation and hemostasis functions may be affected, and there is a risk of bleeding. The liver function, renal function, heart function and skeletal muscle energy metabolism may be affected. 3. This study can provide an experimental basis for the research on the pathogenesis of high altitude diseases from the perspective of blood.

Background High-altitude deacclimatization syndrome (HADAS) is a severe public health issue. The study of the changes in right ventricular function caused by high-altitude deacclimatization (HADA) is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of HADAS. Methods Six-week-old, male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into the plain, plateau and the HADA group. Rats in the plateau and plain group were exposed to altitudes of 3,850 and 360 m, respectively, for 12 weeks. Rats in HADA group were exposed to the plateau altitude of 3,850 m for 12 weeks and subsequently transported to the plain altitude of 360 m for 4 weeks. Right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF), end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV), and myocardial strain parameters, including the global longitudinal strain (GLS), global radial strain (GRS), and global circumferential strain (GCS), were evaluated by 7.0T cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR). The levels of red blood cell (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB), and hematocrit (HCT) in the blood were measured, and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was used to observe the pathological changes in the myocardium. Results In rats in the plateau group, the right ventricular fibrous space was slightly widened, and partial focal steatosis were observed. However, in the HADA group, only a few focal steatoses were found. Rats in the plateau group had elevated levels of RBC, HGB and HCT, increased right ventricular end-diastolic volume (RVEDV), right ventricular end-systolic volume (RVESV) and right ventricular stroke volume (RVSV), and decreased right ventricular global longitudinal strain (RVGLS), right ventricular global circumferential strain (RVGCS), and right ventricular global radial strain (RVGRS) compared to rats in the plain group (P<0.001). The RVEDV, RVGCS, and RVGRS in the HADA group basically returned to the plain state. Interestingly, the RVESV in the HADA group was higher, while the RVSV, RVEF, and RVGLS were lower than those in the other two groups. Conclusions After 12 weeks of exposure to high-altitude environment, there were some pathological changes and the whole contractile strain of the right ventricle was observed. Some pathological changes in the myocardial tissue and stroma recovered after returning to the plain for 4 weeks. However, the right ventricular systolic function and strain did not recover completely.

We retrospectively evaluated the clinical and imaging features of 6 patients with bone hydatid disease confirmed by surgery and pathological examination. Among the 6 patients, 2 were infected with Echinococcosis granulosus metacestode and 4 were infected with E. multilocularis metacestode. The 2 cases with cystic echinococcosis were diagnosed by computed tomographic (CT) examination, and other 4 cases were diagnosed by magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. On the initial evaluation, 1 case each was misdiagnosed as a giant cell tumor or neurogenic tumor, and 2 were misdiagnosed as tuberculosis. The imaging manifestations of bone hydatid disease are complex, but most common findings include expansive osteolytic bone destruction, which may be associated with sclerosing edges or dead bone formation, localized soft tissue masses, and vertebral lesions with wedge-shaped changes and spinal stenosis. Combining imaging findings with the patient’s epidemiological history and immunological examinations is of great help in improving the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of bone hydatid disease.

Background The purpose of this study was to explore the changes in blood cellular and biochemical parameters of rats in a natural environment of low pressure and low oxygen on the plateau. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats in two groups were raised in different environments from 4 weeks of age for a period of 24 weeks. They were raised to 28 weeks of age and then transported to the plateau medical laboratory of Qinghai University. Blood cellular and biochemical parameters were measured and the data of the two groups were statistically analyzed. Results 1. RBC in the HA group was higher than that in the Control group, but there was no significant difference between the two groups ( p > 0.05), Compared with the Control group, HGB, MCV, MCH, MCHC and RDW in the HA group were significantly higher ( p < 0.05). 2. Compared with the Control group, WBC, LYMP, EO, LYMP% and EO% in the HA group decreased significantly ( p < 0.05), and ANC% increased significantly ( p < 0.05). 3. In the platelet index, compared with the Control group, PLT in the HA group was significantly reduced ( p < 0.05), PDW, MRV, P-LCR were significantly increased ( p < 0.05). 4. In blood biochemical indicators, compared with the Control group, AST, TBIL, IBIL, LDH in the HA group decreased significantly ( p < 0.05), CK in the HA group increased significantly ( p < 0.05). Conclusions 1. The indexes related to red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and some biochemical indexes in the blood of rats at high altitude have changed. 2. Under the high altitude environment, the oxygen carrying capacity of SD rats is improved, the resistance to disease may be reduced, the coagulation and hemostasis functions may be affected, and there is a risk of bleeding. The liver function, renal function, heart function and skeletal muscle energy metabolism may be affected. 3. This study can provide an experimental basis for the research on the pathogenesis of high-altitude diseases from the perspective of blood. KEY MESSAGES In this study, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets and blood biochemical indicators were included in the real plateau environment to comprehensively analyze the changes of blood cellular and biochemical parameters in rats under the chronic plateau hypobaric hypoxia environment. From the perspective of blood, this study can provide an experimental basis for research on the pathogenesis of high-altitude diseases. Explore the data support of oxygen-carrying capacity, disease resistance and energy metabolism of the body in the natural environment at high altitude.