Pentisidine Accumulates in the Aging Vitreous Body: A Gender Effect

Abstract

Purpose:: The vitreous body is subject to age-related changes. A possible cause is the occurrence of non-enzymatic glycoxidation reactions resulting in the formation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs). Our goal was to determine the accumulation of the AGE pentosidine in the human vitreous body on aging. Comparisons were made of the pentosidine accumulation in male and female samples.

Methods:: Human eyes (n=119) with no known ophthalmic disorders were obtained from the Cornea Bank (Amsterdam, The Netherlands). The vitreous bodies (80 male, age range 4-80 years, mean age 55 years; 39 female, age range 16-79 years, mean age 53 years) were isolated and freeze-dried. Pentosindine and amino acid content were measured using high performance liquid chromatography.

Results:: On aging, an accumulation of pentosidine was seen in both male vitreous (P = 0.024) and female vitreous (P = 0.001). However, in females the accumulation occurred at a faster rate. The greater extent of the accumulation occurred after the menopause (pre-menopause P = 0.755; post-menopause P = 0.031).

Conclusions:: Up to now, the difference in pentosidine accumulation is the only difference described between the male and female vitreous. This could be an explanation for the finding that posterior vitreous detachment is seen at an earlier age in women. The loss of estrogen during and after the menopause leads to poorer regulation of glucose metabolism and increased oxidative stress, possibly causing the increased pentosidine concentrations seen post-menopausally.

Keywords: vitreous • aging