Fuel source shift or cut down cost: context-dependent adaptation strategies in closely related Neodon fuscus and Lasiopodomys brandtii against hypoxia

Oxygen is essential for most life forms. An insufficient oxygen supply can disrupt homeostasis and compromise the survival of organisms, and hypoxia-induced cardiovascular failure is fatal in many animals, including humans. Some species have adapted to hypoxic environments and evolved to endure such conditions, making them good models for studying the regulatory mechanisms involved in the cardiovascular system in response to hypoxia. To explore the coping mechanisms of cardiovascular system in hypoxic adaptation species with different life histories, we investigated the physiological and molecular responses of the cardiovascular systems of two closely related rodents, Qinghai vole (Neodon fuscus) and Brandt’s vole (Lasiopodomys brandtii), exposed to hypoxic (10% O2 for 48 h) and normoxic (20.9% O2 for 48 h) conditions. Kunming mouse (Mus musculus) was used as a comparison.