Chronic hypoxia protects the mouse heart from oxidative stress via HIF-1α-mitochondria crosstalk.

Authors

Barbora Opletalova, Lukas Alan, Miroslav Ferko, Natalia Andelova, David Janko, Adam Eckhardt, Kristyna Holzerova, Romana Bohuslavova, Gabriela Pavlinkova, Frantisek Kolar, Marketa Hlavackova, Petra Alanova

Published in

Cellular and molecular life sciences : CMLS. Jun 18, 2026. Epub Jun 18, 2026.

Abstract

Adaptation to chronic hypoxia (CH) enhances myocardial tolerance to ischemia/reperfusion injury and is closely associated with stabilization of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α), a central transcription factor in hypoxic response. Given the central role of mitochondria in cardiac pathophysiology, we investigated the contribution of HIF-1α to cellular mechanisms underlying CH-induced cardioprotection, with a focus on proteomic remodeling, antioxidant defense, and regulation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP). Adult male wild-type and heterozygous Hif1a knockout mice were exposed to intermittent CH (7000 m, 8 h/day, 4 weeks) or kept under normoxia. Isolated perfused hearts treated with cyclosporine A, an inhibitor of mPTP opening, were subjected to global ischemia/reperfusion insult for infarct size determination. Quantitative label-free proteomics was conducted to assess HIF-1α-dependent changes. We evaluated oxidative stress, measured levels of proteins associated with antioxidant defense and mPTP regulation. In parallel, a proof-of-concept study was performed in transfected AC16 cardiomyocytes exposed to H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress. CH induced HIF-1α-dependent cardioprotection by limiting infarct size through regulation of mPTP opening. Moreover, CH attenuated oxidative stress and promoted the protective translocation of hexokinase-2 to mitochondria in an HIF-1α-dependent manner. Consistently, HIF-1α overexpression enhanced cardiomyocyte survival under oxidative stress, whereas HIF-1α inhibition by acriflavine reduced cell viability. These findings identify HIF-1α as a key mediator of CH-induced adaptive response and cardioprotection during I/R injury in the mouse heart, acting through mPTP regulation.

PMID:
42315736
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 19 Jun 2026.

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