Pawlak Anna M, Glenn Josephine V, Beattie James R, McGarvey John J, Stitt Alan W
Centre for Vision Science, School of Biomedical Science, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2008 Apr;1126:59-65. doi: 10.1196/annals.1433.066.
The retina is exquisitely sensitive to age-related processes, and, in many cases, these can precipitate progressive and profound loss of vision. Many asymptomatic abnormalities that accrue in the outer retina as we get older can serve as a sinister preamble to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). This condition remains the leading cause of irreversible blindness in industrialized countries, but its precise pathogenesis has yet to be completely elucidated. Over recent years, increasing evidence has suggested that the accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and activation of the receptor for AGEs in the outer retina could play a significant role in the initiation and progression of AMD. The current review outlines this evidence and indicates how products of Maillard chemistry could be used as robust markers for outer retinal aging and susceptibility to AMD. The utility of Raman spectroscopy to measure AGE adducts in human tissues is presented. The methodology reinforces the association between AGE formation and retinal aging and provides exciting possibilities for assessing these pathogenic agents in the living eye and, perhaps, for providing a valuable index for AMD susceptibility.
视网膜对与年龄相关的过程极为敏感，在许多情况下，这些过程会导致渐进性且严重的视力丧失。随着年龄增长，在外层视网膜中积累的许多无症状异常情况，可能是年龄相关性黄斑变性（AMD）的不祥先兆。在工业化国家，这种疾病仍然是不可逆失明的主要原因，但其确切发病机制尚未完全阐明。近年来，越来越多的证据表明，晚期糖基化终产物（AGEs）在外层视网膜中的积累以及AGEs受体的激活，可能在AMD的发生和发展中起重要作用。本综述概述了这一证据，并指出美拉德反应化学产物如何能够用作外层视网膜衰老和患AMD易感性的有力标志物。介绍了拉曼光谱法用于测量人体组织中AGE加合物的效用。该方法强化了AGE形成与视网膜衰老之间的关联，并为在活体眼中评估这些致病因子提供了令人兴奋的可能性，或许还能为AMD易感性提供有价值的指标。
