ABSTRACT
A Review: A concept of tissue adaptation to hypoxia (i. e. hypoxic preconditioning) was developed and its corresponding animal models were reproduced in 1966s. The methods of model reproduction in rat, rabbit, and mouse in particular and the main results are briefly introduced in this review. The tolerance to hypoxia of preconditioned animals is significantly increased. Regular changes in animals' behavior, neurophysiology, respiratory and circulatory physiology, neuron morphology in vivo and function of brain and spinal cord in vitro are briefly demonstrated. The protective effects in vivo and in vitro of homogenate extract taken from the brain of preconditioned animals, neurochemicals and molecular neurobiological alterations are briefly presented. The essence and significance of tissue adaptation to hypoxia/hypoxic preconditioning are discussed in the review in terms of evolution and practical implication.