Intermittent hypoxia-induced inflammatory gene expression differs temporally in brainstem microglia and brainstem tissue homogenates.

<p>iNOS, COX-2, TNFα, IL-1α and IL-6 gene expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR in immunomagnetically-separated microglia (A) or tissue homogenates (B) from the brainstem of healthy male rats exposed either to normoxia or IH for 1, 3 or 14 days. Means +/− 1 SEM are presented relative to expression in normoxic controls. *p<0.05; **p<0.01; ^#p = 0.06.</p

Intermittent hypoxia-induced inflammatory gene expression peaks in cortical microglia at 14 days of exposure.

<p>iNOS, COX-2, TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6 gene expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR in immunomagnetically-separated microglia (A) or tissue homogenates (B) from the cortex of healthy male rats exposed either to normoxia or IH for 1, 3 or 14 days. Means +/− 1 SEM are presented relative to expression in normoxic controls. *p<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001; ^#p = 0.09.</p

Intermittent hypoxia-induced TLR4 gene expression in microglia differs by time and CNS region.

<p>TLR4 gene expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR in immunomagnetically-separated microglia from the cortex, brainstem and spinal cord of healthy male rats exposed either to normoxia or IH for 1, 3 or 14 days. Means +/− 1 SEM are presented relative to expression in normoxic controls. **p<0.01; ***p<0.001; ^#p = 0.085.</p

Intermittent hypoxia-induced inflammatory gene expression is rapid and transient in spinal microglia but sustained in spinal tissue homogenates.

<p>iNOS, COX-2, TNFα, IL-1β and IL-6 gene expression was analyzed by qRT-PCR in immunomagnetically-separated microglia (A) or tissue homogenates (B) from the spinal cord of healthy male rats exposed either to normoxia or IH for 1, 3 or 14 days. Means +/− 1 SEM are presented relative to expression in normoxic controls. *p<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001; ^#p = 0.074.</p