Lipid and fatty acid profile of the retina, RPE/choroid and lacrimal gland, and associations with dietary fatty acids in human subjects

Abstract

Abstract Purpose The contribution of dietary lipids to the accumulation of lipids in the retina during ageing and in the course of age related maculopathies remains under debate. Our objective was to establish associations between fatty acid profiles of ocular structures, and adipose tissue as a surrogate for the past dietary intake of the subjects. Methods Lipids and fatty acids were analyzed by tandem thin‐layer chromatography‐flame ionization detection and gas chromatography‐flame ionization detection from the neural retina, RPE/choroid, lacrimal gland and adipose tissue, collected from 19 women and 8 men, aged 59–95 years. Results DHA concentrations in the neural retina were positively associated with those in cholesteryl esters (CE) from RPE/choroid, and negatively associated with DHA concentrations in phospholipids (PL) from RPE/choroid. DHA in orbital fat was positively associated with DHA in lacrimal gland, whereas 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 neural retina and CE from RPE/choroid, and slightly correlated with PL from RPE/choroid. Other fatty acids that are exclusively of dietary origin such as trans fatty acids were detected in orbital fat, lacrimal gland, PL and CE from RPE/choroid. Conclusion DHA in the neural retina was poorly associated with its dietary intake, on the contrary to others fatty acids like linoleic acid. Although epidemiological studies have reported the benefit of dietary DHA for the prevention of AMD, the relevancy for supplementing patients with DHA is questioned.