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(Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. 2001;42:216-221.)
© 2001 by The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, Inc.

Protective Effects of Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid against Kainate-Induced Retinal Degeneration in Rats

Atsushi Mizota1, Eiju Sato1, Mariko Taniai1, Emiko Adachi–Usami1 and Masazumi Nishikawa2

1 From the Department of Ophthalmology, Chiba University School of Medicine; and the 2 Central Research Institute Maruha Corp., Tsukuba, Japan.

PURPOSE. To investigate the role played by docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in the retina, and more specifically, its ability to protect the retina from kainic acid (KA)-induced retinal damage.

METHODS. Three-week-old female Wistar rats were used. DHA (1000 mg/kg per day) was fed to the rats for 7, 14, and 28 days, and the concentrations of DHA and arachidonic acid (AA) in the retina and serum were measured. In another group of rats, the right eyes were injected intravitreally with 3.12 nanomoles KA after DHA supplementation for 14 days. Electroretinograms (ERGs) elicited by different stimulus intensities were recorded before and on days 1, 7, and 14 after the KA injection. The amplitudes and implicit times of the a- and b-waves were compared. The number of cells in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) and inner nuclear layer (INL) were compared by histopathologic examination.

RESULTS. The concentration of DHA in the serum and retina increased after DHA supplementation. The concentration of AA in serum decreased with DHA supplementation, but the concentration of AA in retina did not show any significant change. The b-waves of the ERGs recorded after KA injection were significantly attenuated in both groups of rats. However, the attenuation was significantly less in the DHA-supplemented rats than in gum arabic–supplemented control rats. The numbers of cells in the INL and GCL were significantly higher in DHA-supplemented rats.

CONCLUSIONS. These results indicate that DHA supplementation can partially counteract KA neurotoxicity in the rat retina. DHA may play a role in modulating neuronal excitability by reducing KA-induced responses in the retina.




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