The Hypoxia-Adenosine Link during Intestinal Inflammation

Intestinal inflammation is a key element in inflammatory bowel disease and is related to a combination of factors, including genetics, mucosal barrier dysfunction, bacteria translocation, deleterious host-microbe interactions, and dysregulated immune responses. Over the past decade, it has been appreciated that these inflammatory lesions are associated with profound tissue hypoxia. Interestingly, an endogenous adaptive response under the control of hypoxia signaling is enhancement in adenosine signaling, which impacts these different endpoints, including promoting barrier function and encouraging anti-inflammatory activity. In this review, we discuss the hypoxia-adenosine link in inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal ischemia/reperfusion injury, and colon cancer. In addition, we provide a summary of clinical implications of hypoxia and adenosine signaling in intestinal inflammation and disease.