title: The effect of docosahexaenoic acid on the electroretinogram of the guinea pig.
abstract: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), an n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, is found in consistently high concentrations in the retinae of mammals, yet its role in vision remains unclear. In this study, a mammalian model of variable retinal DHA concentration has been developed, such that the retinal phospholipids of guinea pigs contained between 2.5 and 30.8% DHA. Visual function was assessed using full-field flash electroretinography, over a range of exposure levels spanning six log units. Trend analysis indicated that retinal function was altered by the tissue DHA level, and was described by a second-order polynomial "inverted U-shaped" function. The results suggested that although some amount of DHA is essential for normal retinal function, increases in the DHA level past an optimal amount, found to be 19%, provided diminishing returns. In this study, manipulation of the retinal DHA level accounted for 21-35% of the electroretinographic variability.
authors.affiliation: Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Weisinger
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Vingrys
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sinclair
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004596:Electroretinography; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D012160:Retina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D014785:Vision, Ocular / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids