The upper blood pressure limit of retinal blood flow autoregulation is lower in the newborn than in the adult; this suggests an insufficient vasoconstrictor response in the newborn when perfusion pressure is increased. Because prostaglandins (PGs) have an important role in autoregulation of retinal blood flow, we compared the effects of PGE2, PGF2α, carbacyclin (PGI2 analogue), and U46619 (thromboxane analogue), as well as that of agonists for the three different PGE2 receptor subtypes, 17-phenyl trinor PGE2 (EP1), butaprost (EP2), and M&B 28,767 (EP3), on the retinal vasculature of newborn and adult pigs, using isolated eyecup preparations. PGF2α and PGE2 caused a markedly greater constriction of retinal arteries and veins of the adult than of the newborn animals. Further analysis of the response to PGE2, using receptor subtype agonists, revealed that the EP1 receptor agonist, 17-phenyl trinor PGE2, and the EP3 receptor agonist, M&B 28,767, caused a significant constriction of adult arteries and veins but produced minimal effects on newborn vessels; the EP2 receptor agonist, butaprost, caused a small and comparable dilation of newborn and adult arteries and veins. The PGI2 analogue, carbacyclin, caused a greater dilation of the adult than of the newborn arteries, but produced comparable dilation of veins from both newborn and adult animals. In contrast to the effects of PGF2α and PGE2, the thromboxane analogue, U46619, as well as the α1-adrenoceptor agonist, phenylephrine, significantly constricted newborn arteries and veins, and this effect was comparable with that observed on retinal vessels of the adult. Our findings indicate that the retinal vasculature of the newborn responds minimally to prostaglandins, primarily PGF2α and PGE2, compared with the adult, but constricts effectively to thromboxane. Since prostaglandins play an important role in the autoregulation of retinal blood flow, our observations provide an explanation for the inability of the newborn to limit blood flow when perfusion pressure is raised.Key words: retinal vascular responses, prostaglandins, thromboxane, PGE2 receptor subtypes.
A divide et impera strategy for automatic classification of retinal vessels into arteries and veins
