Chronic hypoxic exposure induces the alteration of blood components and skeletal muscle phenotype. Change in blood profile after exposure to 10 % hypoxic condition for 4 weeks. A. Red blood cell count. B. Hemoglobin level. C. Hematocrit value (n = 5–6 per group). D. Mass of soleus, and gastrocnemius of male under normoxia (Nx), normoxia treated with FK-506, hypoxia (Hx), and hypoxia treated with FK-506 at 8–10 weeks of age normalized to body weight (n = 5–6 mice per group). E. Appearance of skeletal muscles, including the soleus and gastrocnemius, in normoxia and hypoxia. F. The composition of muscle fiber-type was analyzed by immunostaining. Frozen sections of the soleus and gastrocnemius muscle after exposure to normoxia and hypoxia were stained with antibodies for MyHC I/slow, MyHC IIa and counterstained for laminin (n = 4–6 mice per group). *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 compared to control. Values are means ± SEM. (PDF 5163 kb
