The regional distribution of vitamins E and C in mature and premature human retinas.

The regional distribution of vitamins E and C in mature and premature human retinas.

Vitamin E is used to ameliorate retinopathy of prematurity, but little is known about baseline vitamin E levels in retinas of premature infants or the effect of vitamin E supplementation on these levels. Vitamin E and C levels were measured in mature retinas (1 month to 73 years) and in retinas of premature infants (22 to 33 weeks of gestation). The infants fell into two groups: (1) those who survived less than 12 hr and received no vitamin E, and (2) those who survived greater than 4 days and received vitamin E supplementation. Premature infants are born with 5 to 12 percent the vitamin E levels found in mature retinas. Vitamin E levels in vascular and avascular retina of premature infants increased with gestation. Infants born greater than 27 weeks gestation and surviving at least 4 days with vitamin E supplementation demonstrated markedly elevated vitamin E levels in vascular and avascular retina when compared to supplemented infants less than 27 weeks gestation. Premature infants possessed 35-50% higher levels of retinal vitamin C than those found in mature retinas. These data demonstrate that premature infants are born with relatively low levels of retinal vitamin E, particularly in the avascular region, but contain an abundance of retinal vitamin C. These data further suggest that vitamin E supplementation results in a rapid increase in retinal vitamin E levels, particularly in infants greater than 27 weeks gestational age.

维生素E用于改善早产儿视网膜病变，但对于早产儿视网膜中维生素E的基线水平以及补充维生素E对这些水平的影响知之甚少。在成熟视网膜（1个月至73岁）和早产儿视网膜（妊娠22至33周）中测量了维生素E和C的水平。这些婴儿分为两组：（1）存活不到12小时且未接受维生素E的婴儿；（2）存活超过4天且接受维生素E补充的婴儿。早产儿出生时视网膜中的维生素E水平是成熟视网膜中的5% - 12%。早产儿血管性和无血管性视网膜中的维生素E水平随孕周增加而升高。与孕周小于27周且接受补充的婴儿相比，孕周大于27周且存活至少4天并接受维生素E补充的婴儿，其血管性和无血管性视网膜中的维生素E水平显著升高。早产儿视网膜中的维生素C水平比成熟视网膜中的高35% - 50%。这些数据表明，早产儿出生时视网膜维生素E水平相对较低，特别是在无血管区域，但视网膜维生素C含量丰富。这些数据进一步表明，补充维生素E会使视网膜维生素E水平迅速升高，特别是在孕周大于27周的婴儿中。