title: Disrupted intestinal structure in a rat model of intermittent hypoxia.
abstract: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic condition characterized by chronic intermittent hypoxia (IH) and subsequent reoxygenation (ROX). The gastrointestinal system, which is particularly sensitive to tissue hypoxia and reduced perfusion, is likely to be affected by OSA. A rat model of IH was used to analyze oxidative stress-associated genes and tight junction proteins by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Subsequently, altered morphology of the duodenal mucosa and elevated Chiu scores were observed in the IH‑exposed rats. In addition, IH exposure resulted in upregulation of the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase subunits, NADPH oxidase 2 and p22phox, in the small intestine, and upregulation of transcription factors, including hypoxia‑inducible factor-1, nuclear factor‑κB and activator protein-1. Furthermore, the mRNA expression levels of intestinal tight junction (TJ)-related proteins, claudin-1 and claudin-4, were decreased in the IH‑exposed group, as compared with in the control group. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that OSA, which is characterized by IH and ROX, may lead to disruption of the duodenum. The mechanism underlying the effects of OSA on duodenal morphology may be associated with increased oxidative stress and activation of transcription factors, subsequently inducing intestinal TJ disruption and intestinal injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medicine, Haihe Clinical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Junping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medicine, Haihe Clinical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medicine, Haihe Clinical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medicine, Haihe Clinical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tianjin Haihe Hospital, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Department, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medicine, Haihe Clinical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Subei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medicine, Haihe Clinical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Long
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medicine, Haihe Clinical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Kuan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medicine, Haihe Clinical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Respiratory Medicine, Tianjin Haihe Hospital, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medicine, Haihe Clinical College, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300350, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Huaiyong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D062445:Claudin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D062506:Claudin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D019255:NADPH Oxidases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D020181:Sleep Apnea, Obstructive / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D062445:Claudin-1; D062506:Claudin-4; D051793:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1; D016328:NF-kappa B; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D019255:NADPH Oxidases; C515768:Cyba protein, rat