Intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia during sleep does not induce ventilatory long term facilitation in healthy males

Intermittent hypoxia induced ventilatory neuroplasticity is likely important in obstructive sleep apnea pathophysiology. Although concomitant CO₂ levels and arousal state critically influence neuroplastic effects of intermittent hypoxia, no studies have investigated intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia effects during sleep in humans. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate if intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia during sleep induces neuroplasticity (ventilatory long-term facilitation and increased chemoreflex responsiveness) in humans. 12 healthy males were exposed to intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia (24 x 30s episodes of 3% CO₂ and 3.0 ± 0.2% O₂) and intermittent medical air during sleep after two weeks wash-out period in a randomised cross-over study design. Minute ventilation, end-tidal CO₂, O₂ saturation, breath timing, upper airway resistance, and genioglossal and diaphragm electromyograms were examined during 10 min of stable stage 2 sleep preceding gas exposure, during gas and intervening room air periods and throughout 1 hour of room air recovery. There were no significant differences between conditions across time to indicate long-term facilitation of ventilation, genioglossal or diaphragm electromyogram activity, and no change in ventilatory response from the first to last gas exposure to suggest any change in chemoreflex responsiveness. These findings contrast with previous intermittent hypoxia studies without intermittent hypercapnia, and suggest that the more relevant gas disturbance stimulus of concomitant intermittent hypercapnia frequently occurring in sleep apnea influences acute neuroplastic effects of intermittent hypoxia. These findings highlight the need for further studies of intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia during sleep to clarify the role of ventilatory neuroplasticity in the pathophysiology of sleep apnea.

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