Chronic intermittent hypoxia in DEN-induced rat model of HCC

Using RNA-seq analysis, we investigated whether obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)-related chronic intermittent hypoxia (IH) can influence HCC progression and aggressiveness. Overall design: 7-week-old Fischer 344 male rats were treated weekly with intra-peritoneal injections of 50 mg/kg DEN for 14 weeks in order to develop HCC. Nodule/tumor number and size were evaluated by ultrasound, and the animals were then divided into two equivalent groups (n=9/group). During the following period of 6 weeks, the rats were exposed to intermittent hypoxia (IH group) or to normoxia (N group) during eight hours of the daytime sleeping period of rats.