Gut microbiota analysis of adrenal injury induced by chronic intermittent hypoxia in mice

Growing evidence indicates that alterations within the gut microbiota are linked to the onset and progression of diverse diseases. However, the contribution of the gut microbiota to adrenal injury associated with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) remains incompletely understood. In the present work, a chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) mouse model was developed to characterize the shifts in gut microbial composition induced by CIH and to provide new insights into the mechanisms underlying adrenal injury associated with OSA. A CIH mouse model was established, and fecal pellets and intestinal contents were collected for 16 S rDNA amplicon sequencing to evaluate gut microbial diversity and overall community structure. Functional prediction and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were then conducted using PICRUSt2 to identify disrupted metabolic pathways. CIH exposure induced marked adrenal injury. 16 S rDNA sequencing showed that, compared with controls, CIH increased α-diversity and produced a clear separation in β-diversity, accompanied by a decreased relative abundance of Akkermansia and significant increases in Desulfovibrio, Lactobacillus, and Lachnospiraceae. KEGG functional prediction further indicated enrichment of pathways associated with Ribosome, Genetic Information Processing, and Metabolism of Cofactors and Vitamins, whereas Transporter-related pathways were downregulated. Collectively, these functional alterations may be closely associated with adrenal injury caused by CIH and suggest a potential link to aldosterone dysregulation. In conclusion, our findings suggest that CIH exposure is associated with gut microbiota dysbiosis and adrenal injury in mice, and further indicate a potential link between microbial alterations and aldosterone dysregulation in the context of OSA. These results expand current understanding of the possible gut–adrenal interaction under intermittent hypoxic stress and provide a basis for future mechanistic studies.