Premium
Ethanol Consumption Alters Electroretinograms and Depletes Neural Tissues of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Rhesus Monkeys: Nutritional Consequences of a Low n‐3 Fatty Acid Diet
Author(s) -
Pawlosky Robert J.,
Bacher John,
Salem Norman
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.2001.tb02187.x
Subject(s) - docosahexaenoic acid , docosapentaenoic acid , linoleic acid , medicine , endocrinology , fatty acid , linolenic acid , electroretinography , alpha linolenic acid , polyunsaturated fatty acid , alcohol , biology , biochemistry , retinal
Background: Alcohol amblyopia is a rare neuropathy characterized by the development of blurred vision and a reduction in visual acuity. Further diagnostic details of this condition have shown abnormalities in the electroretinogram (ERG) that include an increase in implicit times in the a‐ and b‐waves and a depression of b‐wave amplitude. Methods: Periodically, the ERGs and the fatty acyl composition of nervous tissue were analyzed from alcohol‐consuming rhesus monkeys ( Macaca mulatta ) (mean consumption 2.6 g kg/day over a 5‐year period) and controls that were maintained on a nutritionally sufficient diet that had low, yet adequate, amounts of linoleic acid but very low α‐linolenic acid. Results: Animals consuming alcohol had increased a‐ and b‐wave implicit times and decreased b‐wave amplitudes in their electroretinograms compared with those of the dietary control group at 2.5 and 5 years. The fatty acyl composition of brain specimens obtained by surgical biopsy at baseline, 2.5 years, and 5 years demonstrated that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had decreased in both groups of animals compared with baseline values. In the brains of the alcohol‐treated animals, DHA was even further decreased (2.5 years: −20%; 5 years: −33%) compared with the diet controls. In the retinas of the alcohol‐consuming animals at 5 years, there was a similar decrease in DHA (‐35%) compared with controls. Generally, the n‐6 fatty acid, docosapentaenoic acid (DPAn‐6) increased in these tissues, apparently compensating for the loss of DHA. Conclusions: A reciprocal change in the DHA/DPAn‐6 ratio is known to be associated with abnormal electroretinograms in a number of species. Thus, a marginal intake of n‐3 fatty acids in some alcohol abusers may, in part, be responsible for the biochemical changes that underlie the diminished retinal function associated with the visual abnormalities observed in alcohol‐amblyopic patients.