Abstract: | 10 healthy men underwent a 48 hour acute hypobaric hypoxia in the "Taba?" climate chamber imitating conditions of an altitude of 4.00 m. above s.l. The "ascent" and "descent" took 30 minutes each. Blood and bone marrow samples were taken before entering the chamber and immediately after leaving it. A decrease in colony-forming capacity of granulo- and monocyte and fibroblast precursors was shown, along with an increase in functional activity of circulating monocytes and monocyte precursors in bone marrow. A possible role of changes in granulo- and monocytopoiesis and in stromal cells is discussed in relation to the increased morbidity and decreased cicatricial and bone tissue reparation in the mountains. |