title: Reduced innervation in the human pharynx in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.
abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea is a disease characterized by repetitive breathing during sleep that lead to reduced oxygen saturation and sleep disturbance among other symptoms. Obstructive sleep apnea is caused by blockade of the upper respiratory airway, although the pathogenic mechanism underlying this occlusion remains unknown. In these studies we explored the hypothesis that alterations in the innervation, especially mechanosensory innervation, of the pharynx may contribute to obstructive sleep apnea. We tested this hypothesis by analyzing the innervation of the human pharynx in normal individuals and in subjects clinically diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea. Using immunohistochemistry for axon and Schwann cells, as well as for two putative mechanoproteins (ASIC2 and TRPV4), we observed a significant reduction in the density of nerve fibers in the submucosa of patients with obstructive sleep apnea as well as morphological abnormalities in mechanosensory corpuscles. Importantly, while ASIC2 and TRPV4 expression was regularly found in the axons of mechanosensory corpuscles distributed throughout the muscular layer in the control subjects, it was absent in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. These findings support that neurological alterations are important contributors to the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea.
authors: Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oviedo, and Instituto Asturiano de Odontología, Oviedo, Spain.
authors: Félix
authors: F
authors: de Carlos
authors: Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oviedo, and Instituto Asturiano de Odontología, Oviedo, Spain.
authors: Juan
authors: J
authors: Cobo
authors: Instituto Asturiano de Odontología, Oviedo, Spain.
authors: Emilio
authors: E
authors: Macías
authors: Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, University of Oviedo, and Surgical Pathology Department, Asturias Central University Hospital, Oviedo, Spain.
authors: Jorge
authors: J
authors: Feito
authors: Sleep and Ventilation Unit, Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital, Santander, Spain.
authors: Mónica
authors: M
authors: González
authors: Instituto Asturiano de Odontología, Oviedo, Spain.
authors: Teresa
authors: T
authors: Cobo
authors: Instituto Asturiano de Odontología, Oviedo, Spain.
authors: María P
authors: MP
authors: Fernández-Mondragón
authors: Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
authors: Olivia
authors: O
authors: García-Suárez
authors: Department of Morphology and Cell Biology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain and Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Chile. javega@uniovi.es.
authors: José A
authors: JA
authors: Vega
mesh_terms: D062565:Acid Sensing Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001369:Axons / Q000473:pathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008959:Models, Neurological; D010614:Pharynx / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase / Q000378:metabolism; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000473:pathology; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C568424:ASIC2 protein, human; D062565:Acid Sensing Ion Channels; D009418:S100 Proteins; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels; C416986:TRPV4 protein, human; D010751:Phosphopyruvate Hydratase