The Effects of Chronic Intermittent Hypoxia on Oxidative Stress and Inflammation

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is increasingly implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. Evidence points to OSA as contributing to inflammation similar to inflammation observed in neurodegeneration. The chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) experienced by OSA patients may be an early contributing factor to chronic inflammation that leads to neurodegeneration. Experiments in this study identify circulating biomarkers affected by OSA and their early impact on neurodegeneration. In the first experiment, oxidative stress and inflammation were observed to increase in male rats exposed to CIH. In the second set of experiments, inflammation within brain nuclei implicated in the onset of Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease were correlated to circulating OS elevated by CIH.