Research progress on oxidative stress in the pathogenesis and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity_Chinese Journal of Ocular Fundus Diseases

Authors：

Wei Xixiang ,  Yang Hui , Yin Xue , Fu Zheng , Xiong Weiwei

Department of Ophthalmology, Xiamen Children's Hospital (Children's Hospital of Fudan University at Xiamen), Xiamen 361000, China;

Corresponding?author：

Yang Hui, Email: 805992715@qq.com

Keywords：

Retinopathy of prematurity; Oxidative stress; Pathogenesis; Therapeutic targets; Review

DOI：

10.3760/cma.j.cn511434-20250402-00147

Video：

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Abstract Full text Figures/Tables Video References Cited by

Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a blinding eye disease characterized by abnormal retinal vascular proliferation and is a major cause of visual impairment in children. Its pathogenesis is complex, involving multiple factors such as hyperoxia exposure, hypoxic compensation, oxidative stress, inflammatory responses, and abnormal angiogenesis, with oxidative stress playing a central role. It is characterized by excessive production of reactive oxygen species and impaired antioxidant function, leading to retinal vascular endothelial cell damage, formation of avascular areas, and abnormal vascular proliferation. Studies have shown that oxidative stress can promote the development and progression of ROP through vascular damage, nitrooxidative stress synergy, and interference with cellular metabolism. Current treatment strategies mainly include antioxidant agents (such as vitamin C, vitamin E, and lutein), signal pathway regulatory agents (such as nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 activators, signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 inhibitors), corticosteroids (such as Triamcinolone and Dexamethasone), and adrenergic receptor antagonists (such as Propranolol), but their efficacy and safety still require further validation. In the future, multidisciplinary collaboration should be strengthened to further explore the interactions between oxidative stress and other pathological mechanisms, and long-term follow-up studies should be conducted to develop safer and more effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of ROP, thereby improving the visual outcomes of preterm infants.

Citation： Wei Xixiang, Yang Hui, Yin Xue, Fu Zheng, Xiong Weiwei. Research progress on oxidative stress in the pathogenesis and treatment of retinopathy of prematurity. Chinese Journal of Ocular Fundus Diseases, 2025, 41(11): 888-893. doi: 10.3760/cma.j.cn511434-20250402-00147 Copy

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1.
2.
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5. Li C, Miao X, Li F, et al. Oxidative stress-related mechanisms and antioxidant therapy in diabetic retinopathy[J/OL]. Oxid Med Cell Longev, 2017, 2017: 9702820[2017-02-06]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28265339/. DOI: 10.1155/2017/9702820.
6. Wang X, Wang T, Lam E, et al. Ocular vascular diseases: from retinal immune privilege to inflammation[J/OL]. Int J Mol Sci, 2023, 24(15): 12090[2023-07-28]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37569464/. DOI: 10.3390/ijms241512090.
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10. Gericke A, Buonfiglio F. Physiological and pathophysiological relevance of nitric oxide synthases (NOS) in retinal blood vessels[J/OL]. Front Biosci (Landmark Ed), 2024, 29(5): 190[2024-05-16]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38812321/. DOI: 10.31083/j.fbl2905190.
11.
12. Cung T, Wang H, Hartnett ME. The effects of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase and erythropoietin, and their interactions in angiogenesis: implications in retinopathy of prematurity[J/OL]. Cells, 2022, 11(12): 1951[2022-06-17]. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35741081/. DOI: 10.3390/cells11121951.
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