Glucose/lipid metabolism and vessel development in phase I ROP

ROP是导致儿童失明的主要原因，在美国，每年约有16,000名早产儿受到ROP的困扰。ROP 由于更多的体外受精导致更多的多胞胎和更低的出生率，发病率正在增加 重量。此外，越来越多的低胎龄婴儿存活下来。氧气在较高水平上被补充 更高的ROP。目前的ROP治疗(激光光凝和抗血管内皮生长因子治疗)并不总是有效的， 而长期的抗血管内皮生长因子治疗可能会潜在地损害大脑和器官的发育。我们需要想办法 及早治疗，预防I期ROP，从而防止新生血管形成。高血糖和相关的 血脂异常，常见于早产儿，与ROP的发展有关，可能与 I期ROP中的血管丢失。我们必须了解开发安全有效的治疗方法的机制 早期ROP预防晚期II期新生血管形成。我们初步发现成纤维细胞生长因子21 (FGF21)是一种重要的糖/脂代谢调节剂，可防止视网膜血管延迟 第一阶段ROP。因此，我们建议 在血脂异常/高血糖加重的I期ROP中，FGF21改善血糖/血脂 新陈代谢和血管发育。 在ROP伴新生儿代谢功能障碍(NMD-ROP)的小鼠模型中，我们将检查1)FGF21 促进视网膜血管发育；2)FGF21对脂/糖代谢的影响；3)FGF21是否促进 通过调节神经胶质细胞代谢和血管生成因子实现正常的血管形成。 本研究将确定1)FGF21在一种新的高血糖加重的I期小鼠模型中的作用 ROP；2)FGF21对视网膜脂质和葡萄糖利用的代谢影响；3)视网膜神经胶质细胞的作用 支持视网膜血管生长的新陈代谢。FGF21可早期防治ROP。

ROP, a leading cause of blindness in children, afflicts ~16,000 premature infants yearly in the US1. ROP incidence is increasing because of more in vitro fertilization resulting in more multiple births with lower birth weight. Also, increasingly low gestational age infants survive. Oxygen is supplemented at higher levels with more ROP. Current ROP treatments (laser photocoagulation and anti-VEGF therapy) are not always effective, and long-term anti-VEGF therapy may potentially impair brain and organ development. We need to find ways to treat early to prevent phase I ROP, and thus prevent neovascularization. Hyperglycemia and associated dyslipidemia, commonly see in preterm infants and associated with ROP development, may contribute to vessel loss in phase I ROP. We must understand the mechanism to develop safe and effective treatment for early ROP to prevent late phase II neovascularization. We preliminarily found that fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), a significant glucose/lipid metabolic modulator, prevents retinal vascular delay in a mouse model of phase I ROP. Therefore, we propose that In dyslipidemia/hyperglycemia-exacerbated phase I ROP, FGF21 improves glucose/lipid metabolism and vessel development. In the mouse model of ROP with neonatal metabolic dysfunction (NMD-ROP), we will examine if 1) FGF21 improves retinal vascular development; 2) FGF21 effect on lipid/glucose metabolism; 3) does FGF21 promote normal vascularization by regulating glial cell metabolism and angiogenic factors. This study will determine 1) the role of FGF21 in a novel mouse model of hyperglycemia-exacerbated phase I ROP; 2) the metabolic impact of FGF21 on retinal lipid and glucose use; 3) the role of retinal glial cell metabolism in supporting retinal vessel growth. FGF21 may prevent and treat ROP at an early stage.