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Light and aging effects on vitamin E in the retina and retinal pigment epithelium
1Mason Institute of Ophthalmology, University of Missouri, School of Medicine, Columbia 65212.
Abstract:
Experiments were performed to determine the effects of senescence and light adaptation on vitamin E levels in the neural retina and RPE-choroid-sclera of pigmented rats. Aging resulted in significant increases in alpha-tocopherol levels in both tissues, the effect being most pronounced in the RPE-choroid-sclera. The state of light adaptation had no influence on alpha-tocopherol levels in the neural retina at any of the ages examined, whereas in the RPE-choroid-sclera, alpha-tocopherol levels were substantially higher in light-adapted than in dark-adapted animals at all three ages (12, 22, and 32 months) at which they were measured. The effect of light adaptation on RPE-choroid-scleral alpha-tocopherol levels was most pronounced in the oldest age group.