TY - JOUR
T1 - Chronic intermittent hypoxia induces hormonal and male sexual behavioral changes
T2 - Hypoxia as an advancer of aging
AU - Wilson, E. Nicole
AU - Anderson, Marc
AU - Snyder, Brina
AU - Duong, Phong
AU - Trieu, Jenny
AU - Schreihofer, Derek A.
AU - Cunningham, Rebecca L.
N1 - Funding Information:
We would like to thank Jessica Proulx and Drs. Marilyn Y. McGinnis, Augustus Lumia, J. Thomas Cunningham, and Styliani Goulopoulou for their excellent technical assistance and advice. This work was supported by the following NIH grants: NS091359 to R.L.C. and AG049255 to D.A.S. and R.L.C.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier Inc.
PY - 2018/5/15
Y1 - 2018/5/15
N2 - Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterized by intermittent periods of low blood oxygen levels. The risk for sleep apnea increases with age and is more prevalent in men than women. A common comorbidity of sleep apnea includes male sexual dysfunction, but it is not clear if a causal relationship exists between sleep apnea and sexual dysfunction. Possible mechanisms that link these two disorders include oxidative stress and testosterone. Oxidative stress is elevated in clinical patients with sleep apnea and in rodents exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), an animal model for apnea-induced hypopnea. Further, oxidative stress levels increase with age. Therefore, age may play a role in sleep apnea-induced sexual dysfunction and oxidative stress generation. To investigate this relationship, we exposed gonadally intact 3 (young) and 12 (middle-aged) month old male F344/BN F1 hybrid male rats to 8 days of CIH, and then examined male sexual function. Plasma was used to assess circulating oxidative stress and hormone levels. Middle-aged male rats had lower testosterone levels with increased sexual dysfunction and oxidative stress, independent of CIH. However, CIH decreased testosterone levels and increased sexual dysfunction and oxidative stress only in young gonadally intact male rats, but not in gonadectomized young rats with physiological testosterone replacement. In sum, CIH had a greater impact on younger gonadally intact animals, with respect to sexual behaviors, testosterone, and oxidative stress. Our data indicate CIH mimics the effects of aging on male sexual behavior in young gonadally intact male rats.
AB - Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterized by intermittent periods of low blood oxygen levels. The risk for sleep apnea increases with age and is more prevalent in men than women. A common comorbidity of sleep apnea includes male sexual dysfunction, but it is not clear if a causal relationship exists between sleep apnea and sexual dysfunction. Possible mechanisms that link these two disorders include oxidative stress and testosterone. Oxidative stress is elevated in clinical patients with sleep apnea and in rodents exposed to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH), an animal model for apnea-induced hypopnea. Further, oxidative stress levels increase with age. Therefore, age may play a role in sleep apnea-induced sexual dysfunction and oxidative stress generation. To investigate this relationship, we exposed gonadally intact 3 (young) and 12 (middle-aged) month old male F344/BN F1 hybrid male rats to 8 days of CIH, and then examined male sexual function. Plasma was used to assess circulating oxidative stress and hormone levels. Middle-aged male rats had lower testosterone levels with increased sexual dysfunction and oxidative stress, independent of CIH. However, CIH decreased testosterone levels and increased sexual dysfunction and oxidative stress only in young gonadally intact male rats, but not in gonadectomized young rats with physiological testosterone replacement. In sum, CIH had a greater impact on younger gonadally intact animals, with respect to sexual behaviors, testosterone, and oxidative stress. Our data indicate CIH mimics the effects of aging on male sexual behavior in young gonadally intact male rats.
KW - Corticosterone
KW - Male sex behavior
KW - Oxidative stress
KW - Sex dysfunction
KW - Testosterone
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85043582510&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.03.007
DO - 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.03.007
M3 - Article
C2 - 29526572
AN - SCOPUS:85043582510
SN - 0031-9384
VL - 189
SP - 64
EP - 73
JO - Physiology and Behavior
JF - Physiology and Behavior
ER -