Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 23, 2025

Activating Autophagy by Aerobic Exercise in Mice
Published on: February 3, 2017
The importance of autophagy regulation in obstructive sleep apnea
Hui Ding1, Hengjuan Guo1, Jie Cao2
1Department of Respiratory and Critical Care, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154 Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China.
Purpose:
Autophagy, the self-renewal process of cells, is dependent on lysosomes to degrade damaged organelles and proteins. The increased or damaged level of autophagy is proven to relate to a number of disorders, including metabolic disorders, malignant tumors, pulmonary diseases, and neurodegenerative disorders. This review aims to examine the effects of autophagy on the pathogenic mechanism of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in order to guide relevant disease treatment.
Methods:
We conducted a search of the literature using the electronic database, focusing on articles that explored the association between OSA and autophagy.
Conclusion:
OSA can induced autophagy through hypoxia, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, endothelial dysfunction, miRNA, etc. We propose that the mechanism of the autophagy in patients with OSA should be eclucidated in further studies.
Related Concept Videos
Sleep Apnea
The condition is more prevalent among...
Autophagy
An autophagic pathway consists of a series of signaling events activated in response to diverse stress and physiological conditions such as food deprivation,...
Autophagic Cell Death
Autophagy and Apoptosis
Autophagy can activate apoptosis. In normal conditions, the autophagy activating protein Beclin-1 and...
Delivery Pathways to the Lysosome
Endocytosis
In endocytosis, the cell membrane takes up macromolecules and particles from the surrounding medium. Clathrin-mediated...
Understanding Sleep
The circadian rhythm, a nearly 24-hour cycle, is deeply influenced by environmental light cues. Light exposure directly affects the hypothalamus, which in turn regulates...
Sleep-Wake Cycles
NREM Sleep
NREM sleep comprises four progressive stages that seamlessly merge:

