title: The influence of aging and low zinc nutrition on the choroid in the pig: II. The melanosome.
abstract: The effects of low zinc nutrition and aging on central choroidal melanosomes were examined in the pig. Melanosomes of central choroidal melanocytes were morphologically and morphometrically examined in three populations of pigs (young, pregnant and aged), that were maintained on either control (C) or low zinc (LZ) diets. In C groups, the typical melanosomes decreased in size with age, although a subpopulation of larger melanosomes occurred in the oldest group. In contrast, the melanosomes of the animals on LZ diets increased in size significantly in the adult groups. The melanosomes in the pregnant and aged groups were 65% and 30-40% greater than those of the age-matched C groups. Extremely large melanosomes were frequently encountered in adult LZ choroidal melanocytes. Melanogenesis of these large bodies included the formation of one or more outer shells. Fusion of adjacent large melanosomes was also observed. Melanolysosomal-like bodies were observed, particularly among the pigmented cells in the large blood vessel region of C and LZ adults. Melanin dynamics, i.e. its production and breakdown, occurred within choroidal melanocytes throughout much of the lifespan of the pig. This dynamic was greatly influenced by low zinc nutrition, resulting in unusual and aberrant melanin activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Small Animal Clinical Surgery, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
authors.forename: D.A.
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Samuelson
authors.forename: P.A.
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: E.
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: MacKay
authors.forename: R.D.
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Whitley