Effects of intermittent hypoxia exposure on the breathing pattern and its association with aging

• Grant number: 25/01369-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Physiology - Physiology of Organs and Systems
• Principal Investigator: Daniel Breseghello Zoccal
• Grantee: Giovana Godinho Funari
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Odontologia (FOAr). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araraquara. Araraquara , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/05717-0 - Analyzing breathing irregularities during the post-natal period in spontaneously hypertensive rats, AP.R

Abstract

Aging is a critical factor for health, affecting the functioning of all physiological systems and predisposing the occurrence of diseases, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). OSA is characterized by collapses of the upper airways that result in partial or total interruptions of airflow, generating situations of intermittent hypoxemia (IH). Evidence indicates a significant number of elderly patients are exposed to IH due to undiagnosed OSA. This condition is relevant, considering that OSA and IH are considered relevant risk factors for developing several health problems prevalent in the elderly population, such as cardiovascular diseases, respiratory problems and neurological dysfunctions that decrease cognitive function. Therefore, clinical and experimental studies are needed to understand the impact of this comorbidity on physiological systems in aging, mainly because this group responds differently to IH. Therefore, the main objective of the project is to evaluate the impact of exposure to chronic IH on the respiratory pattern, exploring pulmonary ventilation and sleep architecture in an animal model. Holtzman Sprague-Dawley male rats aged 3 to 6 months (young) and 15 to 18 months (elderly) will be used in this project, kept under controlled temperature and lightdark cycle conditions. Measurements of ventilatory parameters, such as tidal volume, respiratory frequency, respiratory variability and metabolic rate, and electroencephalogram will be performed simultaneously before and after exposure to chronic HI in young and elderly animals. We anticipate that our findings will provide new insights into the impacts of HI on the physiological systems of elderly individuals, especially on the respiratory system and the sleep/wake cycle. (AU)