White matter injury in preterm infants has a complex etiology and can lead to long-term neurocognitive and behavioral deficits, but there are still no specific treatment methods for this disease at present. More and more studies have shown that mitochondrial dysfunction plays an important role in the pathogenesis of white matter injury in preterm infants and might be a common subcellular mechanism of white matter developmental disorder, which involves oxidative stress, reduced ATP synthesis, and disequilibrium of calcium homeostasis. This article reviews the role of mitochondria in brain development and the mechanism of mitochondrial dysfunction, with a hope to perform early intervention of white matter injury in preterm infants by protecting mitochondrial function, so as to provide a reference for improving the neurodevelopmental outcome of preterm infants who survive.
早产儿脑白质损伤病因复杂，可导致长期的神经认知行为缺陷，目前尚无特效的治疗手段。越来越多的研究表明，线粒体功能障碍在早产儿脑白质损伤发病过程中起重要作用，可能是脑白质发育障碍的常见亚细胞机制，涉及氧化应激、ATP合成减少、钙稳态失衡。文章将对线粒体在脑神经发育过程中的作用和造成其功能障碍的机制作一综述，希望能够通过保护线粒体功能对早产儿脑白质损伤进行及早干预，为改善存活早产儿神经发育结局提供参考。