The in vitro protective effect of alpha-tocopherol on oxidative injury in the dog retina.

Oxidative stress is a risk factor for eye diseases. Free radicals elicited during the inflammatory process often lead to oxidative damage of lipids (lipid peroxidation). The retina is highly vulnerable because of its high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). The aim of this study was to investigate in vitro the effect of alpha-tocopherol on the Fe(2+)-ascorbate induced lipid peroxidation in the canine retina. Lipid peroxidation of retinal homogenates was carried out with and without the addition of alpha-tocopherol and monitored both by chemiluminescence and production of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Total chemiluminescence counts per minute was lower in those homogenates pre-incubated with alpha-tocopherol. Thus, with 1 micromol alpha-tocopherol/mg of protein, 100% inhibition of chemiluminescence and a decrease of TBARS content from 20.46+/-0.85 to 2.62+/-2.77 nmol/mg protein were observed. Simultaneously, changes produced by oxidative stress were noted in the fatty acid composition of retinal lipids. Docosahexaenoic acid was decreased from 14.33+/-2.32% to 1.84+/-0.14% after peroxidation, but this fatty acid remained unaltered in the presence of 1 micromol alpha-tocopherol. These results show that under these experimental conditions, alpha-tocopherol may act as anti-oxidant protecting retinal membranes from deleterious effects. Further studies are required to assess its use in free radical generating conditions affecting the canine retina.