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Meibomian gland phospholipids

J V Greiner¹, T Glonek, D R Korb

¹Department of Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Current Eye Research

|April 1, 1996

Summary

This study identified and quantified phospholipids in rabbit meibomian glands, revealing that zwitterionic and neutral phospholipids dominate the gland's lipid profile, crucial for tear film stability.

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Area of Science:

Ophthalmology
Biochemistry
Cell Biology

Background:

Meibomian gland secretions (MGS) are vital for tear film stability.
The lipid composition of MGS is known, but the specific phospholipids within the glandular cells remain largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

To identify and quantify the phospholipid complement of meibomian gland cells.
To understand the role of these phospholipids in MGS production and tear film function.

Main Methods:

Phospholipids were extracted from rabbit tarsal plates (n=50) with and without expressed meibomian oil.
Quantification was performed using 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

Main Results:

Seventeen distinct phospholipids were identified and quantified.
Zwitterionic and neutral phospholipids, including dihydrosphingomyelin (DHSM), ethanolamine plasmalogen (EPLAS), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), sphingomyelin (SM), alkylacylphosphatidylcholine (AAPC), and phosphatidylcholine (PC), constituted 79.5% of the total meibomian gland phospholipid profile.
These phospholipids comprised 84.2% of the phospholipids in expressed meibomian oil.

Conclusions:

The dominance of zwitterionic and neutral phospholipids in meibomian glands supports the hypothesis that they form a stable surfactant layer.
This layer likely binds non-polar meibomian oil to the aqueous layer of the tear film, ensuring ocular surface lubrication and stability.

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