Intestinal redox regulation and inflammatory bowel disease

Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) reside in a unique environment in terms of redox status. Due to the suboxic and anoxic conditions of the intestinal lumen and the supply of oxygenated blood from submucosal vessels, IECs are regarded as being located at the anoxic–oxic interface. Under this unique condition, IECs are likely to be subjected to redox fluctuations. In the normal intestine, optimal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) perform beneficial functions such as signal transduction for cell proliferation and differentiation and as a defense against intestinal pathogens.