Vitamin A cycle byproducts impede dark adaptation.

ABSTRACT: Impaired dark adaptation (DA), a defect in the ability to adjust to dimly lit settings, is a universal hallmark of aging. However, the mechanisms responsible for impaired DA are poorly understood. Vitamin A byproducts, such as vitamin A dimers, are small molecules that form in the retina during the vitamin A cycle. We show that later in life, in the human eye, these byproducts reach levels commensurate with those of vitamin A. In mice, selectively inhibiting the formation of these byproducts, with the investigational drug C20D₃-vitamin A, results in faster DA. In contrast, acutely increasing these ocular byproducts through exogenous delivery leads to slower DA, with otherwise preserved retinal function and morphology. Our findings reveal that vitamin A cycle byproducts alone are

SUBMITTER: Zhang D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8427233 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature