Study of the Involvement of Fatty Acids in Retinopathy of Prematurity: Relationship Between Retinopathy of Prematurity and the Rate of Expression of Transplacental Fatty Acid Receptors.

The development of the retinal vascular network is completed during the third trimester of pregnancy and and the first 15 days of life of the newborn. This late maturation can be problematic in cases of preterm births and result in immature retinal vascularization, known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Among the various factors influencing retinal vascular development, the tissue content of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) appears to be a crucial element. In a previous project, OMEGA-ROP, we showed a difference in the blood bioavailability of omega-3 PUFAs in infants born at less than 28 weeks of amenorrhea who develop ROP compared to healthy newborns with no retinopathy. This study also showed that mothers experienced variations in the blood levels of omega-3 PUFAs that were contrary to the types of variations observed in their children. This suggests a sequestration of omega-3 PUFAs in the mothers of children who will develop ROP. This new project aims to better understand the underlying molecular mechanisms by studying the expression levels of placental fatty acid receptors in relation to the development of ROP in newborns.