Objective: To investigate the effects of chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced inflammatory factors and reoxygenation on glucose metabolism and skeletal muscle glucose transporter 4 (GLUT-4) expression in rats.
Methods: 24 SD male rats were divided into blank group (UC group), chronic intermittent hypoxia group (CIH group) and reoxygenation group (RH group). The changes of blood glucose, serum insulin and inflammatory factors were detected by peroxidase method, radioimmunoassay and ELISA; the expression of GLUT-4 protein in skeletal muscle was detected by Western blotting.
Results: The fasting blood glucose of rats in CIH group was higher than that in UC group and RH group (P<0.05), and that in RH group was higher than that in UC group (P<0.05). (P<0.05). The serum inflammatory indexes TNF-α and IL-6 of rats in each group, CIH group were significantly higher than UC group and RH group (P<0.05), RH group was higher than UC group (P<0.05). Rat skeletal muscle GLUT4 protein, CIH group was significantly lower than UC group and RH group (P<0.05), RH group was lower than UC group (P<0.05).
Conclusion: Chronic intermittent hypoxia can cause the increase of inflammatory factors and insulin resistance in rats; the insulin resistance of rats is related to the decrease of GLUT-4 protein in skeletal muscle caused by inflammatory factors.