Temporal changes in coronary artery function and flow velocity reserve in mice exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia

Study Objectives Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a chronic condition characterized by intermittent hypoxia (IH) that is implicated in an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (i.e., coronary heart disease, CHD) and associated with increased overall and cardiac-specific mortality. Accordingly, we tested the hypothesis that experimental IH progressively impairs coronary vascular function and in vivo coronary flow reserve. Methods Male C57BL/6J mice (8-week-old) were exposed to IH (FiO(2) 21% 90 s-6% 90 s) or room air (RA; 21%) 12 h/day during the light cycle for 2, 6, 16, and 28 weeks. Coronary artery flow velocity reserve (CFVR) was measured at each time point using a Doppler system. After euthanasia, coronary arteries were micro-dissected and mounted on wire myograph to assess reactivity to acetylcholine (ACh) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP). Results Endothelium-dependent coronary relaxation to ACh was preserved after 2 weeks of IH (80.6 +/- 7.8%) compared to RA (87.8 +/- 7.8%, p = 0.23), but was significantly impaired after 6 weeks of IH (58.7 +/- 16.2%, p = 0.02). Compared to ACh responses at 6 weeks, endothelial dysfunction was more pronounced in mice exposed to 16 weeks (48.2 +/- 5.3%) but did not worsen following 28 weeks of IH (44.8 +/- 11.6%). A 2-week normoxic recovery after a 6-week IH exposure reversed the ACh abnormalities. CFVR was significantly reduced after 6 (p = 0.0006) and 28 weeks (p < 0.0001) of IH when compared to controls. Conclusion Chronic IH emulating the hypoxia-re-oxygenation cycles of moderate-to-severe OSA promotes coronary artery endothelial dysfunction and CFVR reductions in mice, which progressively worsen until reaching asymptote between 16 and 28 weeks. Normoxic recovery after 6 weeks exposure reverses the vascular abnormalities.