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Histochemistry and Lipid Profiling Combine for Insights into Aging and Age-Related Maculopathy

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Lipidomics

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology™ ((MIMB,volume 580))

Summary

Aging is the major risk factor for age-related maculopathy (ARM), the biggest cause of vision loss among the elderly in industrialized societies, and a major change in the affected tissues is the age-related accumulation of neutral lipid in Bruch’s membrane (BrM) of the eye throughout adulthood. Here we show that esterified cholesterol (EC) is the major neutral lipid species in this tissue, which has implications for potential sources of this material. The combination of filipin histochemistry and comprehensive lipid profiling made possible this insight on a complex tissue.

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Acknowledgments

Supported by NIH grants EY06109, International Retinal Research Foundation, EyeSight Foundation of Alabama, Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., Macula Vision Research Foundation, Roger Johnson Prize in Macular Degeneration Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Callahan Eye Foundation Hospital, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Christine A. Curcio & Lan Wang

  2. University Eye Hospital, Lubeck, Universitatsklinikum, Schleswig-Holstein, Lubeck, Germany

    Martin Rudolf

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  1. Christine A. Curcio
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  2. Martin Rudolf
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  3. Lan Wang
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  1. Golden Leaf Rd. 215, Mars Hill, 28754, U.S.A.

    Donald Armstrong

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Curcio, C.A., Rudolf, M., Wang, L. (2009). Histochemistry and Lipid Profiling Combine for Insights into Aging and Age-Related Maculopathy. In: Armstrong, D. (eds) Lipidomics. Methods in Molecular Biology™, vol 580. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-325-1_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-60761-325-1_15

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