Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) as a model of accelerated aging of human retinal processes. Report 1. Assessment of the age RPE lipofuscin accumulation depending on the retinal amount of oxycarotenoids

Abstract

ABSTRACT Purpose. Using the eyes of quails C. japonic as a model system to evaluate age-related accumulation of lipofuscin granules in the cells of the retinal pigment epithelium depending on the level of oxycarotenoids content in the retina and in the retinal pigment epithelium itself. Material and methods. Assessment of the oxycarotenoids content in the retinas of birds was carried out in the absorption spectra of chloroform-methanol extracts from the tissue of isolated retinas and retinal pigment epithelium. The content of lipofuscin in cells of retinal pigment epithelium was estimated by a morphometric analysis of the fluorescent microscopy microphotographs. Results. It is shown that in the cells of the retinal pigment epithelium of old birds (from 43 weeks and older) the volume contents of lipofuscin is 17 times higher than that in young birds aged 13 weeks. In this case, the old birds (56 weeks) with a low concentration of oxycarotenoids in retina: 1.49 mcg/g. raw weight ±0.09(σ), the volume lipofuscin granule quantity was in one and a half times higher than in the birds with a high content of oxycarotenoids: 3.1 mg/g. raw weight ±0.27(σ). Conclusions. The data obtained with the model animal system — the eyes of C. japonica birds, indicates the dependence of the aging accumulation of lipofuscin in the retinal pigment epithelium cells on the content of oxycarotenoids in the retina and its pigment epithelium.

Keywords

• retina
• retinal pigment epithelium
• aging
• lipofuscin
• oxycarotenoids
• Japanese quail