Mice detect oxygen from the skin

2008/07/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Biologia
• Anatomia/Fisiologia

The body detects the presence of oxygen in the air through the lungs, but the skin can also have this function. To this conclusion the biologists of the University of California have reached in an investigation with mice.

The researchers studied skin cancer. One day they realized that mice who did not have a skin related gene had very thick blood. Apparently, without that gene, the skin emitted a signal to the body to produce red blood cells.

In the following sessions, researchers have shown that the skin participates in the production processes of the hormone EPO. In fact, when there is little oxygen, the body creates the hormone EPO, which produces red blood cells. They still do not know how the skin detects oxygen from the air, but have seen that mice have in the skin the same potassium channels that detect oxygen in the lungs.

According to researchers, if people also have this capability, a new pathway can be opened to treat certain types of anemias. It can also serve for high level athletes.