Background and Aim 

OSA has been increasingly linked to MAFLD. Intermittent hypoxia (IH) is the main pathogenesis of OSA.The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of IH on apoptosis of macrophage which play an important role in MAFLD.

Methods

THP-1 cell ( which are widely used in the study of macrophages) were randomly divided into 3 groups : control group (normal oxygen concentration), 15% IH group, 8% IH group. Apoptosis of cell was evaluated using flow cytometry after IH culture for 72hours..

Results

IH caused significant increase of THP-1 apoptosis after 72 hours,which was related to the IH severity (figure 1).

Conclusion

IH can induce apoptosis of macrophage, which may further clarify the mechanism

of liver injury induced by OSA.

Figure 1. After IH cultured for 72 hours, the early apoptotic cells in the lower right quadrant (LR) and the late apoptotic and dead cells in the upper right quadrant (UR) in the 15% IH group and 8% IH group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group (P < 0.001), and the apoptosis in the 8% IH group was higher than that in the 15% IH group (P < 0.001).