Region and age-dependent variation in susceptibility of the human retina to lipid peroxidation.

Trephined buttons from the posterior central (including the macula) and four peripheral regions of human retina were subjected to in vitro lipid peroxidation initiated by Fe+2. There was an age-related increase in peroxidation in the retinal tissue from the posterior region (P = 0.0019), but not in tissues from any of the four peripheral retinal quadrants (collective P = 0.24). These results suggest that the posterior region of the human retina is susceptible to lipid peroxidation and that age is a factor.