Hypoxia

hypoxia, in biology and medicine, condition of the body in which the tissues are starved of oxygen. In its extreme form, where oxygen is entirely absent, the condition is called anoxia.

Four types of hypoxia are distinguished in medicine: (1) the hypoxemic type, in which the oxygen pressure in the blood going to the tissues is too low to saturate the hemoglobin; (2) the anemic type, in which the amount of functional hemoglobin is too small, and hence the capacity of the blood to carry oxygen is too low; (3) the stagnant type, in which the blood is or may be normal but the flow of blood to the tissues is reduced or unevenly distributed; and (4) the histotoxic type, in which the tissue cells are poisoned and are therefore unable to make proper use of oxygen. Diseases of the blood, the heart and circulation, and the lungs may all produce some form of hypoxia.

The hypoxemic type of hypoxia is due to one of two mechanisms: (1) a decrease in the amount of breathable oxygen—often encountered in pilots, mountain climbers, and people living at high altitudes—due to reduced barometric pressure (see altitude sickness) or (2) cardiopulmonary failure in which the lungs are unable to efficiently transfer oxygen from the alveoli to the blood.

In the case of anemic hypoxia, either the total amount of hemoglobin is too small to supply the body’s oxygen needs, as in anemia or after severe bleeding, or hemoglobin that is present is rendered nonfunctional. Examples of the latter case are carbon monoxide poisoning and acquired methemoglobinemia, in both of which the hemoglobin is so altered by toxic agents that it becomes unavailable for oxygen transport, and thus of no respiratory value.

Stagnant hypoxia, in which blood flow through the capillaries is insufficient to supply the tissues, may be general or local. If general, it may result from heart disease that impairs the circulation, impairment of veinous return of blood, or trauma that induces shock. Local stagnant hypoxia may be due to any condition that reduces or prevents the circulation of the blood in any area of the body. Examples include Raynaud syndrome and Buerger disease, which restrict circulation in the extremities; the application of a tourniquet to control bleeding; ergot poisoning; exposure to cold; and overwhelming systemic infection with shock.

In histotoxic hypoxia the cells of the body are unable to use the oxygen, although the amount in the blood may be normal and under normal tension. Although characteristically produced by cyanide, any agent that decreases cellular respiration may cause it. Some of these agents are narcotics, alcohol, formaldehyde, acetone, and certain anesthetic agents.

On a molecular level, cells respond and adapt to hypoxia by increasing levels of a molecule known as hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF). Under normal oxygen conditions, a protein called von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) undergoes chemical modification enabling it to bind to HIF, thereby marking HIF for degradation. However, when oxygen levels are low, VHL is not modified and therefore cannot attach to HIF; as a result, HIF persists. Elevated HIF levels enable cells to survive and proliferate despite reduced oxygen availability. Persistent HIF activity is a major feature of certain diseases, including cancer, where tumour cells thrive in hypoxia. Some anticancer drugs targeting HIF have proven successful in slowing or halting tumour growth. The discovery of how cells sense and adapt to reduced oxygen levels formed the basis of the 2019 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, which was awarded to British scientist Sir Peter J. Ratcliffe and American scientists William G. Kaelin, Jr., and Gregg L. Semenza.