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Volume 26
Issue 24
10.3390/ijms262412040
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Limited Microvascular Remodelling Occurs in the Aged Human Hippocampus in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea

by
Cuicui Xu
1,
Jessica E. Owen
1,
Thorarinn Gislason
2,3,
Bryndis Benediktsdottir
2,3,
Jiming Ye
1 and
Stephen R. Robinson
1,4,*
1
School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia
2
Department of Sleep, Landspitali—The National University Hospital of Iceland, Áland 6, 108 Reykjavik, Iceland
3
Medical Faculty, University of Iceland, 101 Reykjavic, Iceland
4
Institute for Breathing and Sleep, Austin Health, Heidelberg, VIC 3084, Australia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(24), 12040; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262412040 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 18 November 2025 / Revised: 9 December 2025 / Accepted: 13 December 2025 / Published: 14 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Focus on Hippocampus Biology: From Neurophysiology to Dysfunctions (2nd Edition))
Versions Notes

Abstract

In mice, intermittent hypoxia is associated with an increase in microvessels in the hippocampus, whereas in humans with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), microvessels are lost from the heart and retina. The present study investigated microvascular changes in the hippocampus of patients with OSA, and whether patient age or use of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) influence microvascularisation. Using autopsy samples from 31 people with confirmed OSA, microvessels were immunolabelled and quantitatively analysed. Compared to the Low OSA group, the High OSA group had larger mean microvessel diameters in the fimbria and CA4, and greater mean microvessel length in the fimbria, which are indicative of microvascular remodelling. An absence of angiogenesis was indicated by similar mean vessel counts in both OSA severity groups. Increased age was associated with microvascular remodelling in the fimbria only. Treatment with CPAP was not associated with changed patterns of microvascularisation. We conclude that: (i) no evidence was found for angiogenesis in the human hippocampus in OSA or ageing; (ii) increased OSA severity is associated with microvascular remodelling in the fimbria and CA4; (iii) microvascular remodelling does not appear to be influenced by CPAP use; (iv) limited adaptability of the microvasculature may underpin the vulnerability of the hippocampus to hypoxic injury, particularly in severe OSA.
Keywords: ageing; angiogenesis; Alzheimer’s disease; CA1; capillary; CPAP; intermittent hypoxia ageing; angiogenesis; Alzheimer’s disease; CA1; capillary; CPAP; intermittent hypoxia

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MDPI and ACS Style

Xu, C.; Owen, J.E.; Gislason, T.; Benediktsdottir, B.; Ye, J.; Robinson, S.R. Limited Microvascular Remodelling Occurs in the Aged Human Hippocampus in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 12040. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262412040

AMA Style

Xu C, Owen JE, Gislason T, Benediktsdottir B, Ye J, Robinson SR. Limited Microvascular Remodelling Occurs in the Aged Human Hippocampus in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(24):12040. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262412040

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xu, Cuicui, Jessica E. Owen, Thorarinn Gislason, Bryndis Benediktsdottir, Jiming Ye, and Stephen R. Robinson. 2025. "Limited Microvascular Remodelling Occurs in the Aged Human Hippocampus in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26, no. 24: 12040. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262412040

APA Style

Xu, C., Owen, J. E., Gislason, T., Benediktsdottir, B., Ye, J., & Robinson, S. R. (2025). Limited Microvascular Remodelling Occurs in the Aged Human Hippocampus in Obstructive Sleep Apnoea. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(24), 12040. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262412040

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