Pathomechanisms of Oxidative Stress in Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Potential Antioxidant Therapies

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic gastrointestinal disease whose incidence has risen worldwide in recent years. Accumulating evidence shows that oxidative stress plays an essential role in the pathogenesis and progression of IBD. This review highlights the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant defense mechanisms in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, the involvement of oxidative stress signaling in the initiation and progression of IBD and its relationships with genetic susceptibility and the mucosal immune response. In addition, potential therapeutic strategies for IBD that target oxidative stress signaling are reviewed and discussed. Though substantial progress has been made in understanding the role of oxidative stress in IBD in humans and experimental animals, the underlying mechanisms are still not well defined. Thus, further studies are needed to validate how oxidative stress signaling is involved in and contributes to the development of IBD.