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Acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) is a non-invasive therapy which accelerates and improves nerve regeneration and blood vessel formation.
Acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) is a non-invasive therapy which accelerates and improves nerve regeneration and blood vessel formation.
AIH is a treatment involving the alternation between exposure to air with a normal oxygen content and exposure to air that has a reduced oxygen content over the course of 2 hours. This increases the production of proteins that contribute to the growth of nerves and the formation of blood vessels. We believe that AIH will help nerves repair themselves, decrease nerve pain, improve wound healing, and reverse bone and muscle loss in diabetic mice.
Understanding the effects of AIH therapy on the diabetic leg is critical for our next step, investigating AIH in human patients with diabetes through a clinical trial.
Importance
Importance
Type 1 and type 2 diabetes have a significant impact on the legs and feet of affected patients.
These patients can develop:
nerve pain
non-healing wounds that can become infected
weakness in the muscles that may affect walking
thinned bones that increase the risk of fractures
Current treatments for these symptoms are limited to addressing only a single concern at a time, meaning many medications are required, and are often not able to reverse the damage. Additionally, these medications can have poor side effects.
Aims
Aims
We are investigating AIH with both male and female type 1 and type 2 diabetic mice, comparing mice that received AIH with animals who breathed normal oxygen levels.
a) First, we will determine whether AIH helps nerves regenerate faster after injury
b) We will then examine whether AIH improves recovery of:
skin (sensation, pain, wound healing)
muscle (movement, strength)
bone (density, strength)
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