TOPOGRAPHY AND AGE RELATIONSHIP OF LIPOFUSCIN CONCENTRATION IN RETINAL-PIGMENT EPITHELIUM

Abstract

Lipofuscin pigment granules (LPG) are implicated as a marker of cellular aging. The content of LPG in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) was quantitated as a function of age, and the topographic distribution of LPG within individual eyes was measured. Microspectrofluorometric determination of the distribution of LPG in human RPE cells revealed a progressive accumulation of LPG with inceasing age. LPG first appeared in the basilar portions of RPE cells of young eyes. In older eyes, LPG formed into clumps and filled the entire RPE cell. The RPE topographic distribution of LPG revealed an increased accumulation in the posterior pole, with a consistent dip at the fovea. The ratio of lipofuscin accumulation at the posterior pole, to the total RPE, remained constant throughout life.