DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID IS REQUIRED FOR THE SURVIVAL OF RAT RETINAL PHOTORECEPTORS IN-VITRO

The effect of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on neuronal survival was stud ied in cultured cells isolated from newborn rat retina. In vivo, the c ontent of DHA in the retina increased nearly fourfold from days 2 to 1 2 after birth, whereas in retinal cells in culture it remained constan t. Unlike amacrine cells, the photoreceptor cells in control cultures underwent a selective degeneration, starting at day 7, that led to the ir massive death by day 11. The addition of DHA at day 7 led to its ac tive incorporation by the cultures, increasing from 6 to 21% of total fatty acids in cell lipids, and completely prevented photoreceptor cel l death. When other fatty acids were tested, both neuronal fatty acid composition and photoreceptor death were the same as in control cultur es. These results indicate that DHA is specifically required for the s urvival of retinal photoreceptors.