Hypoxia-inducible factor(HIF) is an important transcript factor in sensing the concentration of O2 in cell and regulating the adaptation to hypoxia.HIF is consist of two subunits called α and β with α as an oxygen-sensitive unit and β as a constitutively expressed unit.The activity of HIF is regulated by both pVHL/proteasomal destruction system and non pVHL/proteasomal destruction system.Because the brain is the most oxygen-sensitive organ,use of HIF may be a potential application in treating cerebral ischemia disease.Yet HIF is reported to have both neuroprotective and proapoptotic functions in cerebral ischemia,which makes the application of HIF more complicated.This review will discuss the possible function and mechanism of HIF in cerebral ischemia,and the possible application of HIF to clinic.
