Long-Term Effects of Recurrent Intermittent Hypoxia/Hyperoxia on Respiratory System Mechanics in Neonatal Mice

Premature infants experiencing recurrent episodes of apnea exhibit frequent oxygen desaturation events. Resolving an event is often accompanied by increasing the fraction of inspired oxygen (FIO2) resulting in a transient period of hyperoxia overshoot. We developed a novel experimental exposure paradigm of neonatal intermittent oxygen exposure that replicates a hyperoxia overshoot after each episode of hypoxia to determine its long-term effects on pulmonary mechanics in mice. Our objective is to determine if neonatal exposure to chronic intermittent hypoxia followed by hyperoxia overshoot (CIHO/E) elicits a long-term impairment of respiratory mechanics in neonatal mice.