Projektakademie Medizintechnik - simulation of obstructive sleepapnea syndrome (OSAS) in a mouse model using "LivingLab"

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Keywan Sohrabi
• Subject Area: Medical Physics, Biomedical Technology
• Term: from 2016 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 357750099

Background: The incidence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is rising in western industrial nations. The sleep disorder autonomously represents a risk factor for high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis and lately also type 2 diabetes. Hypoxia, which is caused by apnea phases during sleep (15 to >100/h) plays a major role in this process. This phenomenon has been simulated in a mouse model through chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). However, the CIH mouse model has not been able to show and solve pathophysiology entirely.Especially the occurrence of insulin resistance as a main factor for type 2 diabetes could not be reliably verified, even after several weeks of OSAS simulation. A determining factor could be differences in microcirculation in the models skeletal muscles. Preliminary studies showed for the first time that capillarization of the skeletal muscle significantly decreases in the majority of OSAS patients, whereas it significantly increases in the CIH mouse model. This aspect could be the crucial weak point of the previous CIH mouse model.Aim of the project: To realistically and entirely reproduce the massive metabolic and vascular risks of the skeletal muscle in OSAS to eventually and for the first time evaluate pathophysiology and (if possible) therapeutic approaches in a realistic way.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants