The Impact of Oxidative Stress in Human Pathology: Focus on Gastrointestinal Disorders

Abstract

Accumulating evidence shows that oxidative stress plays an essential role in the pathogenesis and progression of many diseases. The imbalance between the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the antioxidant systems has been extensively studied in pulmonary, neurodegenerative cardiovascular disorders; however, its contribution is still debated in gastrointestinal disorders. Evidence suggests that oxidative stress affects gastrointestinal motility in obesity, and post-infectious disorders by favoring the smooth muscle phenotypic switch toward a synthetic phenotype. The aim of this review is to gain insight into the role played by oxidative stress in gastrointestinal pathologies (GIT), and the involvement of ROS in the signaling underlying the muscular alterations of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In addition, potential therapeutic strategies based on the use of antioxidants for the treatment of inflammatory gastrointestinal diseases are reviewed and discussed. Although substantial progress has been made in identifying new techniques capable of assessing the presence of oxidative stress in humans, the biochemical-molecular mechanisms underlying GIT mucosal disorders are not yet well defined. Therefore, further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms through which oxidative stress-related signaling can contribute to the alteration of the GIT mucosa in order to devise effective preventive and curative therapeutic strategies

Impact of e-cigarettes on colonic mucosa and the role of recovery: involvement of oxidative and inflammatory pathway

“…These findings may be due to the restoration of oxidant/antioxidant balance where MDA and total NO significantly decreased in levels, but SOD decreased. Our results matched with recent studies of Afzal et al (2021) and Vona et al (2021). They mentioned that the gastrointestinal mucosal injury could be prevented by the presence of adequate levels of SOD antioxidant enzymes, as they have both primary and secondary defense functions against both endogenous and exogenous toxins to counterbalance the free radical damaging effects of e-cigarettes.…”

“…These biochemical results may explain the induced gastrointestinal pathology, in the form of discontinuation of the GI tract barrier, thereby increasing intestinal permeability and contributing to the inflammation, as reported by different authors, declaring that reduced SOD activity in the gut caused gastric ulcer (Kwiecien et al 2014;Vona et al 2021).…”

Serum Albumin Redox States: More Than Oxidative Stress Biomarker

“…The oxidation of biological components such as proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and DNA proceeds when anti-oxidative potential is attenuated. This leads to impaired intracellular signaling, cellular dysfunction, etc., ultimately contributing to the pathogenesis of various kinds of diseases including liver diseases, renal failure, diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and infertility [14]. Serum ALB redox state has extensively been investigated in the association with various kinds of diseases and some kinds of physiological conditions.…”

Lupin-Derived Bioactive Peptides: Intestinal Transport, Bioavailability and Health Benefits

“…The excessive production of free radicals, including reactive oxygen (ROS) and reactive nitrogen (RNS) species beyond the body’s antioxidant capacity to attenuate them results in a condition known as oxidative stress. This condition has been identified to play key roles in the initiation and progression of many disease conditions such as inflammatory bowel, cardiovascular, cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, many types of cancers [ 68 , 69 ], and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) [ 70 , 71 ]. To protect the human body from the wraths of free radicals generated from external and internal sources, the modification of dietary lifestyle to include the consumption of foods rich in radical-scavenging and antioxidant chemicals is highly encouraged [ 72 , 73 ].…”