Abstract:Objective To investigate the changes of RNA-dependent protein kinase-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (p-PERK) and CCAAT enhancer binding protein (C/EBP) homology protein (CHOP) expression in lung tissue of rats with chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH). Methods Wistar rats were selected to produce a sleep rat model with chronic intermittent hypoxia. Sixty rats were randomly divided into normal group (UC) and CIH group; and each group was separated into 3-d, 7-d, 14-d and 21-d and 28-d five subgroups. HE method was used to observe the pathological changes of the rat lung tissue in the control and model groups. Immunohistochemical method was used to detect the p-PERK and CHOP expressions and their correlation was analyzed. RT-PCR was adopted for detection of CHOP mRNA expression in the rat lung tissue of the two groups. Results In the CIH group, there were mild edema and a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration in the alveolar walls and interstitium, alveolar structure disorder, and partial alveolar fusion; while there were no obvious pathological changes of rat lung tissue in the UC group. The expressions of p-PERK and CHOP in the CIH group was higher than those in the UC group, the expression levels on the 21st d were the highest. The expression of CHOP mRNA in the lung tissue of the CIH group was higher than that in the lung tissue of the UC group, which was the highest on the 21st d. The up-regulated p-PERK and CHOP expressions were in a positive correlation. Conclusions Chronic intermittent hypoxia can cause lung injury; and the up-regulated expressions of p-PERK and CHOP may play certain roles in the injury of lung tissue in rats with chronic intermittent hypoxia.