Figure 1.

Experimental design of the study. The mild chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) paradigm consisted of 5.6 CIH cycles/h, 10.5 h/day, and it was performed in control animals (2.56 Kcal/g) during 35 days. The severe CIH paradigm consisted of 30 CIH cycles/h, 8 h/day, and it was performed in control and high-fat animals (5.1 Kcal/g) in the last 14 days of the diets, from weeks 10 to 12. Age-matched control or high-fat animals were exposed to circulating room air (21% O₂ and 79% N₂), in the same room and during the same time as the CIH animals to experience similar conditions.