Further Evidence on Efficacy of Diet Supplementation with Fatty Acids in Ocular Pathologies: Insights from the EAE Model of Optic Neuritis.
In the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) mouse model of optic neuritis, we recently demonstrated that diet supplementation with a balanced mixture of fatty acids (FAs), including omega 3 and omega 6, efficiently limited inflammatory events in the retina and prevented retinal ganglion cell (RGC) death, although mechanisms underlying the efficacy of FAs were to be elucidated. Whether FAs effectiveness was accompanied by efficient rescue of demyelinating events in the optic nerve was also unresolved. Finally, the possibility that RGC rescue might result in ameliorated visual performance remained to be investigated. Here, the EAE model of optic neuritis was used to investigate mechanisms underlying the anti-inflammatory effects of FAs, including their potential efficacy on macrophage polarization. In addition, we determined how FAs-induced rescue of RGC degeneration was related to optic nerve histopathology by performing ultrastructural morphometric analysis with transmission electron microscopy. Finally, RGC rescue was correlated with visual performance by recording photopic electroretinogram, an efficient methodology to unravel the role of RGCs in the generation of electroretinographic waves. We conclude that the ameliorative effects of FAs were dependent on a predominant anti-inflammatory action including a role on promoting the shift of macrophages from the inflammatory M1 phenotype towards the anti-inflammatory M2 phenotype. This would finally result in restored optic nerve histopathology and ameliorated visual performance. These findings can now offer new perspectives for implementing our knowledge on the effectiveness of diet supplementation in counteracting optic neuritis and suggest the importance of FAs as possible adjuvants in therapies against inflammatory diseases of the eye.
['Locri|Filippo|F|', 'Cammalleri|Maurizio|M|', 'Pini|Alessandro|A|0000-0001-9828-2082', 'Dal Monte|Massimo|M|0000-0002-5181-4456', 'Rusciano|Dario|D|0000-0002-9577-2585', 'Bagnoli|Paola|P|']
D000818:Animals D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents D016923:Cell Death D019587:Dietary Supplements D004596:Electroretinography D004681:Encephalomyelitis, Autoimmune, Experimental D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 D043371:Fatty Acids, Omega-6 D005260:Female D007249:Inflammation D008264:Macrophages D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission D018696:Neuroprotective Agents D009900:Optic Nerve D009902:Optic Neuritis D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells D014792:Visual Acuity
optic neuritis demyelination macrophage polarization myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein neuroinflammation photopic ERG.