期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：1976
卷号：73
期号：3
页码：747-751
DOI：10.1073/pnas.73.3.747
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：Adaptation of Sherpas to high altitude has been studied and compared with that of Caucasians acclimatized to high altitude. Sherpas living permanently at 4000 m above sea level do not have increased hematological parameters (i.e., red cell number, hematocrit, hemoglobin content, and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate/hemoglobin ratio) and have a higher affinity of blood for oxygen as compared with acclimatized Caucasians. Sherpas permanently living at low altitude, on the contrary, have lower affinity of blood for oxygen than do Caucasians living at comparable altitude and are mildly "anemic,". Various other red cell biochemical parameters (possibly related to adaptation to altitude) have also been studied in the same population. We suggest that Sherpas are genetically better adapted to high altitude than are Amerindians living on the Peruvian highlands, possibly as a consequence of a much more prolonged exposure to such an ecological factor of selection as high altitude.
