Postconditioning by mild hypoxic exposures reduces rat brain injury caused by severe hypoxia

► Postconditioning by mild hypobaric hypoxia improves recovery from injurious hypoxia. ► Hypoxic postconditioning increases the viability of the vulnerable brain neurons. ► Delayed postconditioning has potent anxiolytic and antidepressant-like action. ► Hormone-dependent adaptive processes contribute to the mechanisms of postconditioning.