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Role of Carotid Body in Intermittent Hypoxia-Related Hypertension

  • Secondary Hypertension: Nervous System Mechanisms (M Wyss, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a common breathing disorder, is recognized as an independent risk factor for systemic hypertension. Among the alterations induced by OSA, the chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) is considered the main factor for the hypertension. Exposure of rodents to CIH is the gold-standard method to study the mechanisms involved in the cardiovascular alterations induced by OSA. Although it is well known that CIH produces hypertension, the underlying mechanisms are not totally elucidated. It is likely that the CIH-induced systemic oxidative stress and inflammation may elicit endothelial dysfunction and increase the arterial blood pressure. In addition, OSA patients and animals exposed to CIH show sympathetic hyperactivity and potentiated cardiorespiratory responses to acute hypoxia, suggesting that CIH enhances the peripheral hypoxic chemoreflex. Recent experimental evidences support the proposal that CIH selectively enhances carotid body (CB) chemosensory reactivity to oxygen, which in turn increases sympathetic outflow leading to neurogenic hypertension. In this review, we will discuss the supporting evidence for a critical role of the CB in the generation and maintenance of the hypertension induced by CIH, also, the contribution of oxidative stress to enhance CB chemosensory drive and the activation of sympathetic-related centers in the brain.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grant 1150040 from the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development of Chile (FONDECYT).

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  1. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda, 340, Santiago, Chile

    Rodrigo Iturriaga, María Paz Oyarce & Ana Carolina Rodrigues Dias

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  1. Rodrigo Iturriaga
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  2. María Paz Oyarce
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  3. Ana Carolina Rodrigues Dias
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Correspondence to Rodrigo Iturriaga.

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Iturriaga, R., Oyarce, M.P. & Dias, A.C.R. Role of Carotid Body in Intermittent Hypoxia-Related Hypertension. Curr Hypertens Rep 19, 38 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11906-017-0735-0

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