TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of aging, high fat diet and blue light exposure in an experimental mouse model for basal laminar deposit formation
AU - Cousins, Scott W.
AU - Espinosa-Heidmann, Diego G.
AU - Alexandridou, Anastasia
AU - Sall, John
AU - Dubovy, Sander
AU - Csaky, Karl
PY - 2002/1/1
Y1 - 2002/1/1
N2 - We sought to investigate the role of aging as a susceptibility factor for the capacity of dietary fat intake to increase the development of subretinal deposits. Mice of various ages (2, 9 and 16 months) were fed a normal diet or a diet high in saturated and unsaturated fats for a total four and a half months. Some eyes were also exposed to non-phototoxic levels of blue-green light. The outer retina and choroid were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy, and the characteristics, frequency and severity of subRPE deposits was determined. Aged mice fed normal diets developed only very mild subretinal deposits. However, many eyes of mice aged 9 months or older at the time of initiation of diet developed frequent basal laminar deposits of moderate severity, and only 16 month old mice developed more severe deposits after exposure to blue-green light. Some eyes in this older group also developed endothelial invasion into Bruch's membrane. None of the eyes developed classic drusen or linear deposits. These observations demonstrate that age increases the capacity of dietary fat, especially in the presence of environmental light, to induce subRPE deposits.
AB - We sought to investigate the role of aging as a susceptibility factor for the capacity of dietary fat intake to increase the development of subretinal deposits. Mice of various ages (2, 9 and 16 months) were fed a normal diet or a diet high in saturated and unsaturated fats for a total four and a half months. Some eyes were also exposed to non-phototoxic levels of blue-green light. The outer retina and choroid were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy, and the characteristics, frequency and severity of subRPE deposits was determined. Aged mice fed normal diets developed only very mild subretinal deposits. However, many eyes of mice aged 9 months or older at the time of initiation of diet developed frequent basal laminar deposits of moderate severity, and only 16 month old mice developed more severe deposits after exposure to blue-green light. Some eyes in this older group also developed endothelial invasion into Bruch's membrane. None of the eyes developed classic drusen or linear deposits. These observations demonstrate that age increases the capacity of dietary fat, especially in the presence of environmental light, to induce subRPE deposits.
KW - Aging
KW - Basal laminar deposits
KW - Hyperlipidemia
KW - Light
KW - Macular degeneration
KW - Mouse model
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U2 - 10.1006/exer.2002.2047
DO - 10.1006/exer.2002.2047
M3 - Article
C2 - 12457866
AN - SCOPUS:0036453590
SN - 0014-4835
VL - 75
SP - 543
EP - 553
JO - Experimental eye research
JF - Experimental eye research
IS - 5
ER -