Journal
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Volume 117, Issue 22, Pages 12352-12358Publisher
NATL ACAD SCIENCES
DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1922793117
Keywords
lutein; zeaxanthin; Raman; retina; macula
Categories
Funding
- NIH [EY-11600, EY-14800]
- Lowy Medical Research Institute
- Carl Marshall & Mildred Almen Reeves Foundation
- BrightFocus Foundation
- Research to Prevent Blindness, New York
- NATIONAL EYE INSTITUTE [P30EY014800] Funding Source: NIH RePORTER
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Lutein and zeaxanthin are xanthophyll carotenoids that are highly concentrated in the human macula, where they protect the eye from oxidative damage and improve visual performance. Distinguishing lutein from zeaxanthin in images of the human retina in vivo or in donor eye tissues has been challenging because no available technology has been able to reliably differentiate between these two carotenoids, which differ only in the position of one C = C bond. Here, we report the differential distributions of lutein and zeaxanthin in human donor retinas mapped with confocal resonance Raman microscopy. Zeaxanthin is highly concentrated in the fovea, extending from the inner to the outer limiting membranes, with especially high concentrations in the outer plexiform layer, while lutein is much more diffuse at relatively lower concentration. Our results imply that zeaxanthin may play a more important role than lutein in human macular health and disease.
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