A model of rod outer segment derived lipofuscin

The rod outer segments (ROS) from pig eyes were incubated with ferrous iron and albumin. The fluorescent lipid peroxides formed in the reaction were extracted with chloroform-methanol, ethanol-ether or water. After centrifugation, the fluorescence intensities of the supernatant and the aqueous solution of the sediments were measured with a Fluorospectrophotometer. The sediments were observed with a fluorescence microscope. The fluorescence spectra has an excitation maximum at 365 nm and an emission maximum at 430-440 nm. The fluorescence intensities were greater in the water soluble fraction than in the organic solevent fraction. The fluorescence microscopy showed the blue emitting fluorophores. The fluorophores from ROS peroxidized with ferrous iron have different properties from the lipofuscin in human RPE extracted with the organic solvents.