Red blood cells serve as a primary glucose sink to improve glucose tolerance at altitude - PubMed
a day ago
- #diabetes
- #glucose metabolism
- #hypoxia
- High-altitude conditions improve glucose tolerance and reduce diabetes risk.
- Hypoxia alone improves glucose tolerance, with effects lasting weeks after returning to normal oxygen levels.
- Red blood cells (RBCs) act as a primary glucose sink under hypoxia.
- Manipulating RBC numbers (phlebotomy/transfusion) directly affects blood glucose levels.
- Chronic hypoxia increases RBC glucose uptake (3-fold) and GLUT1 protein abundance (2-fold).
- Hypoxia displaces GAPDH from band 3 binding, boosting glycolytic flux and 2,3-DPG production.
- Hypoxia or hypoxia mimetic (HypoxyStat) rescues hyperglycemia in type 1 and type 2 diabetes models.
- RBCs are identified as key regulators of systemic glucose metabolism.