The biochemical and morphological evidence of an increase of nuclear HIF-1α – detected in our SMC cultures of IPEC-J2 cells – is an important indication of the exposition of the cells to oxidative stress, comparable to the oxygen deficit as it occurs in tumours.27 Furthermore, the morphological detection of HIF-1α in the histology of the cell cultures may serve as prognostic factor in the clinical progress of different tumours such as lung, breast and bladder cancer. Here, HIF1A is linked to neoplasm.