The publication is dedicated to hypoxia, which poses a relevant problem for many researchers, as hypoxic conditions can arise in various pathologies. The authors assert that "the mechanisms of adaptation to hypoxia and other adverse environmental factors help both humans and animals adapt to changing natural conditions and technological challenges."
Numerous scientific groups have already studied and continue to study the pathogenesis, prevention, and therapy of hypoxic conditions. However, as the authors note, many aspects of this issue remain unresolved. The aim of their research is to synthesize and analyze the key mechanisms of the body's adaptation to oxygen deficiency to enhance understanding and develop methods to increase resistance to hypoxia.
The study of the mechanisms of adaptation to oxygen deficits, particularly their effects on the brain, opens new opportunities for developing preventive and therapeutic measures against various hypoxic conditions.
"The reduction of oxygen in arterial blood and changes in the oxygen saturation of brain tissues affect cerebral blood flow. However, how hypoxia influences the resilience of cerebral vessels to damage that precedes 'brain catastrophes' remains poorly understood and requires further research," the review states.
It is widely accepted that hypoxic damage to cells occurs due to a lack of oxygen, leading to a decrease in pO2 in cells. This, in turn, disrupts important redox processes necessary for the body's vital functions.
The initial changes in the body during hypoxia are associated with the activation of a number of compensatory reactions aimed at maintaining homeostasis (compensation phase). Within this phase, reactions that adapt the body to short-term acute hypoxia (urgent) and reactions that ensure resilience to less pronounced but prolonged or repeatedly occurring hypoxia (long-term reactions) are distinguished.
"If compensatory reactions prove insufficient and hypoxic factors continue to act, this may lead to structural and functional disorders (decompensation phase)," the publication states.
The literature analysis confirms that adaptive and compensatory mechanisms of the body are activated in hypoxic conditions.
"Nevertheless, the aspects of hypoxia when it is combined with other pathological conditions, such as the consumption of energy drinks, tobacco, or alcohol, are insufficiently studied. Therefore, further research into the mechanisms of adaptation in hypoxia remains one of the pressing tasks," the authors conclude.
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