Abstract

PURPOSE:

Long-term effects of treatment with 9-cis-retinyl acetate (9-cis-R-Ac), an artificial retinoid prodrug, were tested on changes in rod and cone visual functions in mice.

METHODS:

The acetyl ester of the functional geometric chromophore 9-cis-retinal was delivered by oral gavage to C57BL/6 female mice. In initial experiments, 10-month-old mice were used for the single treatment with 9-cis-R-Ac or the control vehicle. In long-term experiments, 4-month-old mice were treated with 9-cis-R-Ac monthly for 6 and 10 months. Photoreceptor status was evaluated by various electroretinographic (ERG) techniques, retinoid analyses, and retinal morphology. Opsin, the predicted target of oxidized 9-cis-R-Ac, was purified and its chromophore was characterized.

RESULTS:

Age-related changes observed in vehicle-treated mice at 10 months of age, compared with those in 4-month-old mice, included a progressive decline in ERG responses, such as a decreased rate of dark adaptation and a lowered rhodopsin/opsin ratio. Administration of 9-cis-R-Ac increased the rhodopsin regeneration ratio, and improved ERG responses and dark adaptation. Compared with vehicle-treated control animals, 10- and 14-month-old mice treated monthly with 9-cis-R-Ac for 6 or 10 months exhibited improved dark adaptation. In 14-month-old mice treated monthly, changes in the expression of retina-specific genes in the eye were detected by mRNA expression profiling, but no significant effects in gene expression were detected in the liver and kidney.

CONCLUSIONS:

Deteriorating photoreceptor function documented in mice at 10 and 14 versus 4 months of age was improved significantly by long-term, monthly administration of 9-cis-R-Ac. These findings suggest a potential therapeutic approach to prevent age-related retinal dysfunction.