[Hypoxia involvement in erythropoiesis regulation--a new insight]

Oxygen, carried mainly by erythrocytes, plays a crucial role in human organisms--as the terminal electron acceptor enables mitochondria functioning and energy production. Oxygen excess may be a cause of the damage of basic structural organism components--proteins, lipids and nucleinic acids. Thus, from the biological point of view, regulation of oxygen supply with its detection mechanisms is a critical process. Erythrocyte content optima-lization, in means of "benefit-loss" is a compromise between the necessity of anaerobic metabolism transit (in case of too low erythrocyte count), excessive increase in blood viscosity and non-productive, increased red blood cell turn-over with increased erythrocyte level. It is in fact a process of adaptation to changeable environmental conditions, life style and possible pathological processes. The study is a review of knowledge on the oxygen sensor and its connection to erythropoiesis regulation.