Chiswick M L, Johnson M, Woodhall C, Gowland M, Davies J, Toner N, Sims D
Ciba Found Symp. 1983;101:186-200. doi: 10.1002/9780470720820.ch12.
Forty-four consecutively born babies of birth weights under 1751 g were randomly selected to receive a daily intramuscular injection of vitamin E (all-rac-alpha-tocopheryl acetate) from the day of birth (Day 0) until Day 3, or were allocated to a non-supplemented control group. Frequent ultrasound examinations of the brain were made during the first week of life and babies were classified as having 'no haemorrhage', 'subependymal haemorrhage (SEH) only' or 'intraventricular haemorrhage' (IVH). The incidence of SEH or IVH was similar in supplemented (42.9%) and control babies (43.5%). SEH or IVH was observed only in babies of less than 32 weeks gestation; when only babies under 32 weeks were considered, IVH was less common in those supplemented (18.8%) than in the controls (56.3%). Babies with IVH had lower median plasma vitamin E concentrations when compared with babies without any haemorrhage and compared with those with only SEH. Three supplemented babies suffered IVH and they were the three with the lowest plasma vitamin E concentrations among the babies supplemented with vitamin E from Day 0 to Day 3. We speculate that vitamin E protects endothelial cell membranes of capillaries in the subependymal layer of the brain against oxidative damage and disruption and thereby limits the magnitude of haemorrhage in the subependymal layer, and reduces the risk of extension into the ventricles.
连续选取44名出生体重低于1751克的婴儿，从出生当天（第0天）至第3天，随机抽取一组每日接受维生素E（全消旋α-生育酚醋酸酯）肌肉注射，另一组则分配到非补充对照组。在出生后的第一周内对婴儿脑部进行频繁的超声检查，并将婴儿分为“无出血”、“仅室管膜下出血（SEH）”或“脑室内出血”（IVH）。补充组（42.9%）和对照组婴儿（43.5%）的SEH或IVH发生率相似。仅在孕周小于32周的婴儿中观察到SEH或IVH；仅考虑孕周小于32周的婴儿时，补充组中IVH的发生率（18.8%）低于对照组（56.3%）。与无任何出血的婴儿以及仅患有SEH的婴儿相比，患有IVH的婴儿血浆维生素E浓度中位数较低。三名补充维生素E的婴儿发生了IVH，他们是从第0天至第3天补充维生素E的婴儿中血浆维生素E浓度最低的三名。我们推测，维生素E可保护脑室内管膜下层毛细血管的内皮细胞膜免受氧化损伤和破坏，从而限制室管膜下层出血的程度，并降低出血扩展至脑室的风险。
