Sleeping with lower blood pressure

Abstract

Physiology Individuals with sleep apnea periodically stop breathing or breathe more shallowly while sleeping. The resulting intermittent decreases in blood oxygen concentrations (hypoxia) activate an organ called the carotid body, which sends out signals to increase breathing but also increases blood pressure and can lead to hypertension. Using a rodent model of sleep apnea, Yuan et al. found that the carotid bodies of the rodents produced reactive oxygen species that stimulate the generation of hydrogen sulfide, a gasotransmitter that in turn stimulates carotid body activity. Inhibiting the enzyme that generates hydrogen sulfide prevented the rodents from developing high blood pressure. Sci. Signal. 9 , ra80 (2016).