Hypoxia

Hypoxia is a physiological state characterized by decreased oxygen levels in organs and tissues. Hypoxia is associated with various pathophysiological conditions including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension, congenital heart disease, cerebral ischemia, and cancer.

Products Areas | O2 Levels in Organs and Tissues | Defining Hypoxia States | Resources

Low oxygenation plays a role in embryonic development and may be physiologically normal for some adult tissues which maintain a hypoxic environment (e.g., bone marrow microdomains and thymus). However, oxygen deficiency commonly affects cellular function and disrupts various biological processes, including cell proliferation and differentiation, angiogenesis, metabolism, and pH homeostasis. 

Hypoxia Research Product Areas 

Hypoxia Detection Methods Hypoxia Inducers & Inhibitors
Hypoxia Inducible FactorsHypoxia Signaling

Physiologic Median O2 Levels in Organs and Tissues

O2 Levels in Organs and Tissues Infographic

Defining Hypoxia States*

Cellular responses to hypoxia are critically dependent on the duration (acute vs chronic) and extent (hypoxia vs anoxia) of the low-oxygen state, and are predominantly mediated by hypoxia-inducible factors (HIFs), considered to be “master regulators” of adaptations to low-oxygenation. However, both HIF-dependent and -independent mechanisms play roles in shaping cellular responses to hypoxia in physiology and disease.

DurationExtent
Acute
Low tissue oxygen from minutes to hours, due to temporary limitations in blood flow		Hypoxia
~ 1-2% O2
Chronic
Low tissue oxygen from hours to days, due to limitations in the diffusion of oxygen to distant tissues		Anoxia
~ 0.02% O2 and below

*Definitions for hypoxia are based on conditions used in cancer model systems.

Hypoxia Resources

Protocols & FAQs

 

Literature, Webinars & Blogs 

Pathways