Science Study Finds 7,000-Meter Mice Burn Fat Better in Thin Air
Updated
Updated · Nebraska Today · Jul 10
Science Study Finds 7,000-Meter Mice Burn Fat Better in Thin Air
3 articles · Updated · Nebraska Today · Jul 10
Summary
Phyllotis vaccarum populations from the highest Andes showed stronger aerobic and heat-producing capacity than lowland mice in hypoxic cold tests, pinpointing how the species survives where oxygen is less than half sea-level levels.
Five expeditions between 2020 and 2023 let Jay Storz's team compare summit and lowland animals, linking the highlanders' edge to greater mitochondrial respiratory capacity in skeletal muscle.
Genomic analysis found a small set of high-altitude changes in genes tied to long-chain fatty-acid metabolism, suggesting the mice generate heat by burning fat efficiently under oxygen-limited conditions.
The study also uncovered adaptation in detoxification genes, indicating the mice evolved not only for cold and hypoxia but also for toxic plants that vary across elevations.
Because low-oxygen stress also drives many heart and lung diseases, the researchers said these mammalian adaptations could help guide future hypoxia-related medical research.