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Topical Area: Carotenoids and Retinoids

Carotenoids and Retinoids (Poster Session)

(P01-017-23) Biopolymer-Based Lutein Emulsion Enhanced Lutein Bioavailability and Improved Retinal Vessel Morphology in Neonatal Rats With Retinopathy of Prematurity

Saturday, July 22, 2023
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET
Location: Poster Board 326

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Yanqi Zhang, PhD

    Post-doc
    The University of Alabama
    Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • LT

    Libo Tan, Ph.D.

    Assistant Professor
    The University of Alabama
    Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States

Disclosure(s):
Yanqi Zhang, PhD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.


Objectives: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), an eye disorder with abnormal neovascularization of retinal vessels and mainly caused by oxidative stress, affects 32% of hospitalized preterm babies and is a leading cause of infant blindness. Lutein, a dietary antioxidant and main component of the macular pigment, was found at low levels in preterm babies and may help ameliorate ROP. However, the low bioavailability of lutein limits its use. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of a biopolymer-stabilized lutein emulsion on lutein bioavailability and retinal vessel development in neonatal rats with ROP. The lutein emulsion was stabilized by octenylsuccinylated starch and was shown in our previous study to enhance lutein bioavailability healthy neonatal rats.

Methods: On postnatal day 7 (P7) and P8, neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with KRN 633, an inhibitor of VEGF receptor that prevents normal retinal vessel growth. A group of rats not receiving it served as the non-ROP control. From P9 to P21, ROP rats and non-ROP rats were both randomized into three sub-groups (n=6/group) and received a daily dose of olive oil, free lutein, or lutein emulsion (2mg lutein/kg BW), respectively. On P22, rats were euthanized. Blood, liver, eye, brain, kidney, spleen, lung, white adipose tissue, and brown adipose tissue were collected. Lutein concentrations in the serum and tissues were measured by UPLC. The retinal vessel morphology was assessed via immunohistochemistry.

Results: ROP rats exhibited significantly lower lutein concentrations than the non-ROP counterparts, but the emulsion groups showed significantly higher serum and tissue lutein concentrations than rats receiving free lutein. Compared to non-ROP control, ROP rats receiving olive oil showed higher artery tortuosity, increased capillary density, and enlarged arteries and veins in the retina. While ROP rats receiving free lutein showed improvement in a few measures above, most measures were restored to the non-ROP control level in ROP rats receiving lutein emulsion.

Conclusions: Biopolymer-based lutein emulsion significantly enhanced lutein bioavailability in rats with ROP and recurred ROP progression at the morphological level. The emulsion system can be considered in clinical studies as a safe and efficient carrier for lutein to benefit infants with ROP.

Funding Sources: Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research