Breathing Research and Therapeutics Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Department of Physical Therapy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
J Appl Physiol (1985). 2022 Sep 1;133(3):561-571. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.00332.2022. Epub 2022 Jul 21.
Intermittent hypoxia, or intermittent low oxygen interspersed with normal oxygen levels, has differential effects that depend on the "dose" of hypoxic episodes (duration, severity, number per day, and number of days). Whereas "low dose" daily acute intermittent hypoxia (dAIH) elicits neuroprotection and neuroplasticity, "high dose" chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) similar to that experienced during sleep apnea elicits neuropathology. Sleep apnea is comorbid in >50% of patients with Alzheimer's disease-a progressive, neurodegenerative disease associated with brain amyloid and chronic Tau dysregulation (pathology). Although patients with sleep apnea present with higher Tau levels, it is unknown if sleep apnea through attendant CIH contributes to onset of Tau pathology. We hypothesized CIH characteristic of moderate sleep apnea would increase dysregulation of phosphorylated Tau (phospho-Tau) species in Sprague-Dawley rat hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Conversely, we hypothesized that dAIH, a promising neurotherapeutic, has minimal impact on Tau phosphorylation. We report a dose-dependent intermittent hypoxia effect, with region-specific increases in ) phospho-Tau species associated with human Tauopathies in the soluble form and ) accumulated phospho-Tau in the insoluble fraction. The latter observation was particularly evident with higher CIH intensities. This important and novel finding is consistent with the idea that sleep apnea and attendant CIH have the potential to accelerate the progression of Alzheimer's disease and/or other Tauopathies. Sleep apnea is highly prevalent in people with Alzheimer's disease, suggesting the potential to accelerate disease onset and/or progression. These studies demonstrate that intermittent hypoxia (IH) induces dose-dependent, region-specific Tau phosphorylation, and are the first to indicate that higher IH "doses" elicit both endogenous, (rat) Tau hyperphosphorylation and accumulation in the hippocampus. These findings are essential for development and implementation of new treatment strategies that minimize sleep apnea and its adverse impact on neurodegenerative diseases.
间歇性低氧,即间歇性低氧与正常氧水平交替出现,其影响因缺氧发作的“剂量”(持续时间、严重程度、每日发作次数和发作天数)而异。虽然“低剂量”每日急性间歇性低氧(dAIH)可诱发神经保护和神经可塑性,但类似于睡眠呼吸暂停期间经历的“高剂量”慢性间歇性低氧(CIH)可诱发神经病理学。睡眠呼吸暂停在 >50%的阿尔茨海默病患者中并发-一种与大脑淀粉样蛋白和慢性 Tau 失调(病理学)相关的进行性神经退行性疾病。尽管睡眠呼吸暂停患者的 Tau 水平较高,但尚不清楚睡眠呼吸暂停通过伴随的 CIH 是否会导致 Tau 病理学的发生。我们假设中度睡眠呼吸暂停的 CIH 会增加 Sprague-Dawley 大鼠海马和前额叶皮质中磷酸化 Tau(phospho-Tau)的失调。相反,我们假设 dAIH,一种有前途的神经治疗方法,对 Tau 磷酸化的影响最小。我们报告了一种剂量依赖性的间歇性低氧效应,与人类 Tau 病相关的可溶性磷酸化 Tau 物种和不溶性部分中积累的磷酸化 Tau )在区域特异性增加。后者的观察结果在更高的 CIH 强度下尤为明显。这一重要而新颖的发现与睡眠呼吸暂停和伴随的 CIH 有可能加速阿尔茨海默病和/或其他 Tau 病的进展的观点一致。阿尔茨海默病患者中睡眠呼吸暂停的患病率很高,这表明有可能加速疾病的发生和/或进展。这些研究表明,间歇性低氧(IH)可诱导剂量依赖性、区域特异性 Tau 磷酸化,并且首次表明更高的 IH“剂量”可诱发内源性(大鼠) Tau 过度磷酸化和在海马中的积累。这些发现对于开发和实施新的治疗策略至关重要,这些策略可最大限度地减少睡眠呼吸暂停及其对神经退行性疾病的不利影响。