Involvement of plasmalogens in post-natal retinal vascular development.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Proper development of retinal blood vessels is essential to ensure sufficient oxygen and nutrient supplies to the retina. It was shown that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) could modulate factors involved in tissue vascularization. A congenital deficiency in ether-phospholipids, also termed "plasmalogens", was shown to lead to abnormal ocular vascularization. Because plasmalogens are considered to be reservoirs of PUFAs, we wished to improve our understanding of the mechanisms by which plasmalogens regulate retinal vascular development and whether the release of PUFAs by calcium-independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA2) could be involved.

Methods and results

By characterizing the cellular and molecular steps of retinal vascular development in a mouse model of plasmal

SUBMITTER: Saab S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4071069 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature