Adaptation to intermittent hypoxia prevents the decrease in cerebral vascular density in rats with experimental Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract

Introduction. Patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have reduced cerebral vascular density (VD), which impairs blood flow to neurons and may contribute to progression of AD. Earlier we showed that prior adaptation to intermittent hypobaric hypoxia (IHH) prevented memory loss and degeneration of cortical neurons in rats with experimental AD (EAD). The aim of this study was to test if IHH might prevent EAD-induced vascular rarefaction in rats. Materials and methods. EAD was induced with bilateral injection of neurotoxic beta-amyloid peptide fragment (A) (25–35) into n. basalis magnocellularis. IHH was simulated at a 4,000 m altitude, for 4 hours a day, for 14 days. Brain blood vessels were stained by transcardiac infusion of Indian ink; brain sections were stained with 0.3 % cresyl violet by Nissle method. Vascular density was assessed in the cortex and hippocampus using the Infinity Analysis Software. Results. In the EAD rats, VD was significantly decreased in the hippocampus (13.3±0.9 vs 17.8±1.0 in field of view, FOV, p<0.03) and in the cortex (17.3±1.5 vs 22.3±1.3 in FOV, p<0.03). AIH increased VD in the hippocampus to 27.0±3.5 in FOV (p=0.01) and in cortex to 26.0±1.1 in FOV (p<0.03). In EAD+AIH rats, VD did not differ significantly from the control rats neither in the hippocampus, nor in the cortex. AIH may stimulate angiogenesis through hypoxia inducible factor-1α-mediated expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and/or by increasing expression and activity of antioxidant enzymes. Conclusion. One of the mechanisms of AIH beneficial effect in AD-related neurodegeneration is preserving the capability for compensatory angiogenesis in brain.