High-Altitude Hypoxia Stress Leads to Down-Regulation of Ribosomal Protein Expression in Mouse Muscle Tissue

  Human physical performance declines in the low-oxygen environment at high-altitude regions. Muscle mass is highly correlated with athletic performance, so it is necessary to explore the effects of high-altitude environment on muscle and their underlying mechanisms. This study constructed a hypoxic mouse model by simulat ing an altitude of 5 000 m and raising them for three consecutive days. The characterization protein expression of the skeletal muscle in high-altitude environments were analyzed by using DIA label-free quantitative proteomics technol ogy. Differential proteins were screened by bioinformatics and enrichment analysis was conducted. A total of 2 717 proteins were identified by the proteome analysis. Taking P<0.05 and |log2(fold change)|≥1 as the standards, there were a total of 339 differential proteins, among which 193 proteins were significantly up-regulated and 146 proteins were significantly down-regulated. GO analysis indicated that differentially expressed proteins were primarily in volved in biological processes such as ribosomal structural assembly and electron transfer activity. KEGG analysis revealed abnormalities in signaling pathways such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and ribosome translation. Analy sis of downregulated differentially expressed proteins revealed that this group of proteins was significantly enriched in ribosome. Western blot assay confirmed the downregulation of ribosomal protein expression. This study characterized the protein expression of muscle tissue in high-altitude hypoxia condition, further revealing that ribosomal biosynthesis and energy conversion may be key pathways influencing muscle tissue function in high-altitude envi ronments. It provides a new theoretical foundation for improving physiological adaptation and enhancing athletic training to high-altitude condition.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2026.02.0007