title: Gut microbiota affects lens and retinal lipid composition.
abstract: The gut microbiota affects host lipid metabolism and is considered an environmental factor that contributes to development of obesity. To investigate whether the gut microbiota affects the eye lipidome, we performed comprehensive lipidomic profiling of lens and retina from conventionally raised and germ-free mice. Conventionally raised mice had diminished phosphatidylcholines in the lens and elevated ethanolamine plasmalogens in the retina. Diminishment of lens phosphatidylcholines in the presence of gut microbiota suggests that the conventionally raised mice are exposed over time to more oxidative stress than germ-free mice. Consistent with this, their lifespan is also shorter. Our findings may open a new area of investigation how modulation of gut microbiota affects the eye health.
authors: Matej
authors: M
authors: Oresic
authors: Tuulikki
authors: T
authors: Seppänen-Laakso
authors: Laxman
authors: L
authors: Yetukuri
authors: Fredrik
authors: F
authors: Bäckhed
authors: Virve
authors: V
authors: Hänninen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002853:Chromatography, Liquid; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D005856:Germ-Free Life; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism*; D050356:Lipid Metabolism; D008136:Longevity; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010713:Phosphatidylcholines / Q000378:metabolism; D010955:Plasmalogens / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism*; D021241:Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry
chemical_list: D010713:Phosphatidylcholines; D010955:Plasmalogens; C020791:phosphatidal ethanolamines