ABSTRACT
<p><b>AIM</b>To research the effect of intermittent hypoxia during sleep on hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and growth hormone (GH) level.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Rats were respectively exposed to intermittent hypoxia, room air and continuous hypoxia, after 1 day, 3 days, 7 days and 30 days, mRNA levels of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH) in hypothalamus of rats were detected using RT-PCR, and the levels of CRH, GHRH, corticotropin(ACTH), cortex ketone, and growth hormone in plasma were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>After 30 days, the CRH mRNA levels in rats hypothalamus which exposed to intermittent hypoxia were increased significantly than those exposed to continuous hypoxia as well as normal control but GHRH decreased, there was no difference between continuous hypoxia and normal control. After 1 day, 3 days, and 7 days, there was no difference between continuous hypoxia and intermittent hypoxia. After 30 days, the plasmic level of CRH,ACTH and cortex ketone increased, GHRH decreased and GH had no obvious change.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The rats' HPA axis level increases and GHRH restrained with chronic intermittent hypoxia during sleep, feedback regulation disorders.</p>