HIF-1 and ventilatory acclimatization to chronic hypoxia

Ventilatory acclimatization to hypoxia (VAH) is a time-dependent increase in ventilation and ventilatory O2-sensitivity that involves plasticity in carotid body chemoreceptors and CNS respiratory centers. Hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) controls the expression of several genes that increase physiological O2 supply. Studies using transgenic mice show HIF-1α expression in the carotid bodies and CNS with chronic sustained and intermittent hypoxia is important for VAH. Other O2-sensitive transcription factors such as HIF-2α may be important for VAH by reducing metabolic O2 demands also. Specific gene targets of HIF-1α shown to be involved in VAH include erythropoietin, endothelin-1, neuronal nitric oxide synthase and tyrosine hydroxylase. Other HIF-1α targets that may be involved in VAH include vascular endothelial growth factor, heme oxygenase 1 and cytoglobin. Interactions between these multiple pathways and feedback control of HIF-1α expression from some of the targets support a complex and powerful role for HIF-1α in neural plasticity of physiological control circuits with chronic hypoxia.