Abstract
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma are ophthalmic neurodegenerative diseases responsible for irreversible vision loss in the world population. Only a few therapies can be used to slow down the progression of these diseases and there are no available treatment strategies for reversing the degeneration of the neural retina. In AMD, the pathological process causes the malfunction and damage of the retinal pigmented epithelium and photoreceptors in the macula. In glaucoma, damage of the retinal ganglion cells and their axons is observed and treatment strategies are limited to intraocular pressure lowering. Therefore, other prophylactic and/or therapeutic methods are needed. Oxidative stress is involved in the neurodegenerative process accompanying both AMD and glaucoma; therefore, the use of antioxidant agents would clearly be beneficial, which is supported by the decreased prevalence and progression of AMD in patients adherent to a diet naturally rich in antioxidants. Dietary antioxidants are easily available and their use is based on the natural route of administration. Many preclinical studies both in vitro and using animal models of retinal degeneration showed the efficacy of dietary antioxidants, which was further proved in clinical trials. Resveratrol is beneficial both in AMD and glaucoma animal models, but confirmed only among AMD patients. For AMD, carotenoids and omega-3 fatty acids were also proved to be sufficient in preventing neurodegeneration. For glaucoma, coenzyme Q10 and alpha-lipoic acid showed efficacy for decreasing retinal ganglion cell loss and inhibiting the accompanying destructive processes. Interestingly, the benefits of vitamins, especially vitamin E was not confirmed, neither in preclinical nor in clinical studies.
Highlights
The retina of the eye in mammals is a structure consisting of five layers of specialized neurons
Wistar rats with elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) evoked by cauterization of three episcleral veins were fed with a control diet or a vitamin E deficient diet or a diet supplemented with vitamin
There is no information about any clinical trial mainly focusing on the antioxidant properties of vitamin E and their role in glaucoma
Summary
The retina of the eye in mammals is a structure consisting of five layers of specialized neurons. Being the neural part of the eye, the retina is responsible for the transduction of external light stimulus to impulses, transmitted along the axons of the retinal ganglion cells to the brain, creating visual perception [1,2]. Retinal neurodegenerative diseases are a rising problem worldwide. The most common are age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma [6]. The prevalence of these diseases is increasing and varies worldwide [7,8]. The neurodegenerative process accompanying both AMD and glaucoma leads to irreversible damage to the neural part of the retina, which is the leading cause of gradual vision loss [11]. As there is no treatment available to reverse degeneration and loss of neurons in the retina, additional and/or supportive therapies are beneficial
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