Linked Life Data

12848275

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/12848275

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
4
pubmed:dateCreated
2003-7-9
pubmed:abstractText
The risk of central nervous, visual, and auditory damage increases from 2/1000 live births in the normal birthweight to > 200/1000 as birthweight falls below 1500 g. Such babies are most likely to be born preterm. Advances in infant care have led to increasing numbers of very-low-birthweight, preterm infants surviving to school age with moderate to severe brain damage. Steroids are one of the current treatments, but they cause significant, long-term problems. The evidence reported here suggests an additional approach to protecting the very preterm infant by supporting neurovascular membrane integrity. The complications of preterm, very-low-birthweight babies include bronchopulmonary dysplasia, retinopathy of prematurity, intraventricular hemorrhage, periventricular leukomalacia, and necrotizing enterocolitis, all of which have a vascular component. Arachidonic acid (AA) and DHA are essential, structural, and functional constituents of cell membranes. They are especially required for the growth and function of the brain and vascular systems, which are the primary biofocus of human fetal growth. Molecular dynamics and experimental evidence suggest that DHA could be the ligand for the retinoid X receptor (RXR) in neural tissue. RXR activation is an obligatory step in signaling to the nucleus and in the regulation of gene expression. Very preterm babies are born with minimal fat stores and suboptimal circulating levels of these nutrients. Postnatally, they lose the biomagnification of the proportions of AA and DHA by the placenta for the fetus. No current nutritional management repairs these deficits. The placental biomagnification profile highlights AA rather than DHA. The resultant fetal FA profile closely resembles that of the vascular endothelium and not the brain. Without this nourishment, cell membrane abnormalities would be predicted. We present a scientific rationale for a common pathogenic process in the complications of prematurity.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Apr
pubmed:issn
0024-4201
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:volume
38
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
303-15
pubmed:dateRevised
2006-11-15
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2003
pubmed:articleTitle
The potential role for arachidonic and docosahexaenoic acids in protection against some central nervous system injuries in preterm infants.
pubmed:affiliation
Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition, The London Metropolitan University, North Campus, London N7 8DB, United Kingdom. michael@macrawf.demon.co.uk
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article, Review, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't