Ultrastructure of the upper airway skeletal muscle in patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome patients

Abstract

To observe the ultrastructure of the upper airway skeletal muscle from patients with obstructive sleep apnea hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) . Sixteen OSAHS patients were recruited during Oct 2010 to Oct 2011. Ten patients with chronic tonsillitis were recruited as the control. Body mass index (BMI) was above 25 kg/m(2) in all patients. The upper air way skeletal muscle cells were observed by a transmission electron microscope .The relation between the ultrastructure and apnea hypopnea index (AHI), the lowest saturation of blood oxygen (LSaO2) was detected by statistic analysis. AHI and LSaO2 in OSAHS patients were (53.6 ± 4.6)/h, and 0.754 ± 0.023 while that of the control group were (2.27 ± 1.1)/h and 0.968 ± 0.014, which had statistically significant difference (t = 8.84, t = 6.90, P < 0.01). In OSAHS patients, electron microscope showed that muscle fibers can not be identified with disordered arrangement of structure, some of mitochondria were severe swollen and disrupted, a lot of liposome was observed. In the control group, muscle fibers were identified with well arrangement, also there were some mitochondria swollen, but no liposome was found. The amount of liposome in upper airway skeletal muscle in OSAHS patients was analyzed with shape counting scale, it was found that it had positive correlation with AHI (r(2) = 0.761, P < 0.01) but no correlation with BMI and LSaO2 (P > 0.05). Fatty change is the characteristic change of the upper airway skeletal muscle in OSAHS patients which was caused by hypoxia and vibration.