Exploring the pharmacological mechanisms for alleviating OSA: Adenosine A2A receptor downregulation of the PI3K/Akt/HIF‑1 pathway (Review)

Biomed Rep. 2024 Nov 28;22(2):21. doi: 10.3892/br.2024.1899. eCollection 2025 Feb.

Abstract

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common type of sleep apnea, which leads to episodes of intermittent hypoxia due to obstruction of the upper airway. A key feature of OSA is the upregulation and stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1), a crucial metabolic regulator that facilitates rapid adaptation to changes in oxygen availability. Adenosine A2A receptor (A2AR), a major adenosine receptor, regulates HIF-1 under hypoxic conditions, exerting anti-inflammatory properties and affecting lipid metabolism. The present study explored the roles of A2AR in OSA regulation, specifically focusing on its effects via the PI3K/Akt/HIF-1 pathway. The findings enhance our understanding the pharmacological potential of A2AR in OSA management and suggest future research directions in exploring its clinical applications.

Keywords: PI3K/Akt; adenosine; adenosine A2A receptor; hypoxia-inducible factor 1; obstructive sleep apnea.

Publication types

  • Review

Grants and funding

Funding: The present study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos. 82074576 and 81704190), Sichuan Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine (grant no. 2021MS444) and Key Laboratory of Sports Medicine of Sichuan Province (grant no. 2023-A037).