Poster Presentation: no. P17Chronic intermittent hypoxia (IH) associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by repetitive cycles of hypoxia and reoxygenation, leading to excessive production of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress in tissues and organs. However the mechanistic effects of chronic IH on the liver are not clear at present. We hypothesized that renin-angiotensin system (RAS) plays a role in the IH-induced oxidative stress and tissue inflammation in the rat liver. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to air (normoxic (Nx) control) or IH treatment (with inspired oxygen fraction in the normobaric chamber cyclic between 5-21% ± 0.5% per min, 8 hours per day) for 14 days. Rats were fed with an angiotensin II type 1 (AT1) receptors blocker telmisartan (10mg/kg body weight), or vehicle daily before the IH treatment. Hepatic expression levels of pro-inflammatory …postprin
