OMEGA-3 FATTY ACIDS AND VISUAL DEVELOPMENT

人类发育的最后三个月和出生后早期几个月是 以视网膜和视皮层快速发育为特征的。 而视功能和敏感度的后天改善 由异常的早期视觉环境造成的干扰已经广泛存在 研究了其他环境变量在人类视觉中的作用 发展问题最近才得到解决。目前的研究是 旨在评估饮食中omega-3和omega-6的长期效果 长链多不饱和脂肪酸(LCPUFA)对视网膜和视网膜的供应 低出生体重儿和足月儿的脑发育 婴儿。有高浓度的omega-3和omega-6 LCPUFA 在电活性膜中，特别是在脑突触中 终末和视网膜光感受器中。因为哺乳动物不能 合成必需脂肪酸(EFAs)，最适合视网膜和神经 发育依赖于胎盘在子宫内的转移和饮食来源 出生后。此外，新生儿可能有不成熟，这限制了他们的 能够拉长/脱饱和亲本EFA以形成LCPUFA。预期 婴儿随机服用标准婴儿配方奶粉或 含有二十二碳六烯酸的实验配方(DHA；22：6欧米伽- 3)和DHA加花生四烯酸(AA；20：4 omega-6)将评估 补充LCPUFA对视网膜和脑成熟的影响 视网膜电图仪，图形翻转视觉诱发电位，强迫- 选择优先观察，脑电研究的对象 睡眠-觉醒循环，贝利和费根测试。中国的脂肪酸谱 红细胞将作为LCPUFA在神经中状态的指标 并验证饮食的遵从性。体外研究将 补充LCPUFA对胎儿生长发育的影响 并将提供有关DHA机制的新信息 和AA影响其生物学特性和形态特征。这个 该项目的长期目标是确定以下对象的营养需求 人类婴儿最佳的视网膜和皮质发育。这个 在此提出的具体项目将有助于确定 LCPUFAs在促进视网膜和皮质发育方面的作用 在确定是否需要LCPUFA方面至关重要 补充早产和/或足月婴儿配方奶粉。

The last trimester and early postnatal months of human development are characterized by rapid development of the retina and visual cortex. While the postnatal improvement of visual function and sensitivity to disruption by abnormal early visual environments have been extensively studied, the role of other environmental variables in human visual development has only recently been addressed. The present study is designed to evaluate the longterm effects of dietary omega-3 and omega-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LCPUFA) supply on retinal and brain development in low birthweight preterm infants and in fullterm infants. There is a high concentration of omega-3 and omega-6 LCPUFAs in electrically active membranes, particularly in brain synaptic terminals and in retinal photoreceptors. Since mammals are unable to synthesize essential fatty acids (EFAs), optimal retinal and neural development depend on placental transfer in utero and on dietary sources postnatally. Moreover, neonates may have immaturities which limit their ability to elongate/desaturate parent EFAs to form LCPUFAs. Prospective studies of infants randomized to standard infant formula or to experimental formulas containing docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6 omega- 3) and DHA plus arachidonic acid (AA; 20:4 omega-6) will evaluate the effects of LCPUFA supply on retinal and brain maturation by means of electroretinograms, pattern-reversal visual evoked potentials, forced- choice preferential looking, electroencephalographic studies of the sleep-wake cycle, and Bayley and Fagan tests. Fatty acid profiles in red blood cells will be used as an index of LCPUFA status in neural tissue and to verify compliance with diet. In vitro studies will examine the effects of LCPUFA supplementation on the developing fetal human retina and will provide new information on mechanisms by which DHA and AA influence biological and morphological characteristics. The longterm goal of this project is to define nutritional requirements for optimal retinal and cortical development of the human infant. The specific projects proposed here will help to characterize the role of LCPUFAs in promoting retinal and cortical development and will be crucial in determining whether there is a need for LCPUFA supplementation of preterm and/or term infant formula.