Oxygen-induced retinopathy in the rat: possible contribution of peroxidation reactions.
Albino rats were maintained in 60% atmospheric oxygen from birth through 14 days of age. Age-matched controls were simultaneously raised in room air. Some rats were perfused with India ink before sacrifice and retinal dissection in order to study the effect of oxygen-rearing on the retinal vasculature. By this method it was found that oxygen-reared animals sustained a 36% loss of retinal blood vessels. Other animals' retinas were removed immediately after sacrifice and examined for evidence of lipid peroxidation by one of three means: 1) a determination of the presence of products of lipid peroxidation, 2) a measure of the loss of polyunsaturated fatty acids, and 3) a determination of retinal vitamin E level. Each of these determinations indicated that peroxidation reactions had occurred in the retinas of oxygen-reared rats. Retinal vitamin E was supplemented in the young rats through the diet of the mothers. This treatment resulted in a two-fold increase of retinal vitamin E over levels in pups of mothers fed rat chow. Oxygen-reared vitamin E-supplemented rats sustained significantly less obliteration of blood vessels than non-supplemented oxygen-reared animals.
Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030.
J S
JS
Penn
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D004032:Diet; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D010100:Oxygen / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000473:pathology; D012178:Retinopathy of Prematurity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000378:metabolism / Q000627:therapeutic use
D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D014810:Vitamin E; D010100:Oxygen