Lipid and fatty acid profile of the retina, retinal pigment epithelium/choroid, and the lacrimal gland, and associations with adipose tissue fatty acids in human subjects
Experimental Eye Research. 2008-12-01; 87(6): 521-528
DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2008.08.010
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1. Exp Eye Res. 2008 Dec;87(6):521-8. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2008.08.010. Epub 2008 Aug
29.
Lipid and fatty acid profile of the retina, retinal pigment epithelium/choroid,
and the lacrimal gland, and associations with adipose tissue fatty acids in human
subjects.
Bretillon L(1), Thuret G, Grégoire S, Acar N, Joffre C, Bron AM, Gain P,
Creuzot-Garcher CP.
Author information:
(1)Eye and Nutrition Research Group, UMR1129 FLAVIC, INRA, 17 rue Sully, BP
86510, F21065 Dijon cedex, France.
Accumulation of lipids within Bruch’s membrane (BrM) and between BrM and retinal
pigment epithelium (RPE) accounts for one of the biological changes associated
with normal aging and may contribute to the development of age-related
maculopathies. The origin of these lipids is still being actively investigated.
The relative contribution of plasma lipids and lipids coming from the neural
retina remains a matter of controversy. Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) have been
reported to significantly participate in the retina’s lipid supply, after active
remodeling within RPE. Meanwhile, RPE expresses the enzymatic machinery for
synthesizing lipoprotein-like particles. The objective of this study was to
establish associations between the fatty acid profile of the ocular structures
and adipose tissue as a surrogate for the subjects’ past dietary intake. Lipids
and fatty acids were analyzed from the neural retina, retinal pigment epithelium
(RPE)/choroid, the lacrimal gland, and adipose tissue, collected from 27 human
donors (19 women, eight men) aged 59-95 years. DHA concentrations in the neural
retina were positively associated with the concentrations in cholesteryl esters
(CEs) from RPE/choroid and negatively associated with DHA concentrations in
phospholipids (PLs) from RPE/choroid. DHA in orbital fat was positively
associated with DHA in the lacrimal gland. No significant association was
observed in the other ocular structures. Linoleic acid in orbital fat was
positively associated with linoleic acid in the lacrimal gland, followed by the
neural retina and CEs from RPE/choroid; it was slightly correlated with PLs from
RPE/choroid. Other fatty acids that originate exclusively from the diet such as
trans fatty acids were detected in orbital fat, the lacrimal gland, PLs, and CEs
from RPE/choroid. DHA in the neural retina was poorly associated with its dietary
intake, contrary to other fatty acids such as linoleic acid. Within this context,
CEs may be important carriers of fatty acids entering the retina. Although
epidemiological studies have reported the benefit of DHA in the prevention of
age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Western
countries, the relevance of supplementing patients with DHA is questioned.
DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2008.08.010
PMID: 18801361 [Indexed for MEDLINE]