Hypoxic preconditioning induces two-phase increase of HIF-1alpha expression in the neocortex of low-resistance rats. The first, brief phase appears after each hypoxic episode and rapidly disappears in normoxic conditions. The second increase in of HIF-1alpha expression occurs in 24 hours after the hypoxic episode. The phase-nature of HIF-1alpha expression corresponds to the dynamics of urgent and long-term resistance in low-resistance rats, which suggests the HIF-1alpha involvement in mechanisms of urgent and long-term adaptation. It was found that in the mode of preconditioning, hypoxic treatments mobilized the anti-oxidant system (activated Cu, Zn-SOD) and had no effect on the intensity of lipid peroxidation processes in neocortex (INH, 10% O2) or even decreased the content of lipid peroxidation products and oxidized glutathione in neocortical cells in the early post-hypoxic period (HBH-5000, 10.5% O2). Thus, ROS do not play a key role in the induction of HIF-1alpha expression and fast-response/long-term adaptation to O2 deficiency in hypoxia-sensitive animals. In high-resistance rats, hypoxia preconditioning does not influence the HIF-1alpha protein expression and the adaptation. Severe hypoxic modes (HBH-7000, 8% O2) caused activation of lipid peroxidation processes in neocortex of hypoxia-sensitive rats. With the pro-oxidant systems dominating over the anti-oxidant ones, the neocortical expression of HIF-1alpha was found to decrease, which was accompanied by the impairment of the mechanisms of fast-response/long-term adaptation to hypoxia.