Impact of acute sleep restriction on resting ventilation and cytokine levels in normobaric hypoxia, and their association
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: The effect of sleep restriction (SR) on the physiological responses to normobaric hypoxia (NH) remains unknown. This study examined whether acute SR the night prior to a 5-h exposure to 3,500 m NH impacts (i) the resting ventilatory response, (ii) circulating pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, and (iii) their potential association. Seventeen healthy men (31 ± 7 yr; 77.1 ± 8.5 kg) were exposed to 5 h of NH (FIO2 = 13.6%, 3,500 m) in a randomized crossover design following one night of habitual (> 6 h) or restricted (≤ 3 h) sleep, separated by at least one week. Minute ventilation (V̇E), carbon dioxide output (V̇CO2), oxygen uptake (V̇O2), tidal volume (VT), and respiratory rate (RR) were assessed after 1.5 h of NH. Plasma cytokines (TNF-α, IL-8, IL-10) were measured following 1.5 h and 5 h of NH. SR increased VT (0.67 ± 0.34 vs. 0.63 ± 0.33 L, p = 0.031) following 1.5 h of NH. TNF-α was elevated following SR at both 1.5 h (0.98 ± 0.38 vs. 0.86 ± 0.41 pg/mL, p = 0.012) and 5 h (1.00 ± 0.45 vs. 0.79 ± 0.35 pg/mL, p = 0.004) of NH exposure. IL-10 levels increased after 5 h of NH following SR (0.94 ± 0.65 vs. 0.78 ± 0.73 pg/mL, p = 0.040). Ventilatory responses (VT, V̇E, V̇O2, V̇CO2, RER, V̇E/V̇O2, V̇E/V̇CO2, PETO2, V̇A, SpO2) positively correlated with IL-10 after 1.5 h of NH (r ranged from 0.433 to 0.659, p < 0.05). PETCO2 negatively correlated with IL-10 (r = −0.411, p = 0.033). Acute SR modulates the ventilatory and inflammatory responses to NH which may influence altitude tolerance. IL-10 may influence ventilatory responses to NH. In this context, IL-10 is associated with ventilatory responses to NH.
Authors: Louis David, Julianne Touron, Marie-Claire Erkel, Catherine Drogou, Anaïs Pontiggia, Vincent Beauchamps, Carine Malle, Olivier Nespoulous, Ulysse Comte, Alexandra Malgoyre, Fabien Sauvet, Beth A. Beidleman, Nathalie Koulmann, Danielle Gomez-Merino, Mounir Chennaoui, Pierre A. Fabries, HYPSOM Investigator Group, Haïk Ayounts, Catherine Bellec, Keyne Charlot, Paco Clavé, Françoise Gignoux-Huon, Mathias Guillard, Clémentine Jacques, Romaric Jérome, Emilie Louis-Delauriere, Théo Pinalie, Michael Quiquempoix, Aurélie Servonnet, Aurélie Trignol, Pascal Van Beers
Institutions: Hôpital d'Instruction des Armées Clermont-Tonnerre, Université Paris Cité, Hôtel-Dieu de Paris, Hôpital d'instruction des Armées Percy, Université Paris-Saclay, Laboratoire de Biologie de l'Exercice pour la Performance et la Santé, Université d'Évry Val-d'Essonne, U.S. Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, United States Army
Language: English
Topic: High Altitude and Hypoxia
Subfield: Genetics
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $2,890
Funder: Direction Générale de l’Armement
OpenAlex ID: W7125975175