Abstract: In recent years, hypoxia adaptation-related genetic study of plateau residents and animals has been researched by experts domestic and overseas, and they have revealed its physiological mechanism of Tibetans, which is, a high-flux Nitric oxide (NO) will relax blood vessel and then increase blood flow velocity which offsets the high altitude hypoxia. Obviously, nitric oxide has played an important role in hypoxia adaptation. The authors reviewed its synthesis, transmission, biological effect and its regulation and expression mechanism under the circumstance of hypoxia.

Key words: nitric oxide; nitric oxide synthase; hypoxia adaptation