Effects of Varying Degrees of Intermittent Hypoxia on Proinflammatory Cytokines and Adipokines in Rats and 3T3-L1 Adipocytes

Objectives Intermittent hypoxia (IH), resulted from recurring episodes of upper airway obstruction, is the hallmark feature and the most important pathophysiologic pathway of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). IH is believed to be the most important factor causing systemic inflammation. Studies suggest that insulin resistance (IR) is positively associated with OSA. In this study, we hypothesized that the recurrence of IH might result in cellular and systemic inflammation, which was manifested through the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and adipokines after IH exposure, and because IR is linked with inflammation tightly, this inflammatory situation may implicate an IR status.