Project Number: 1950-51000-060-00
Project Type: Appropriated

Start Date: May 01, 2004
End Date: Apr 30, 2009

Objective:
To determine foods and nutrients that offer protection against onset or progress of age-related cataract and age-related macular degeneration in humans. To determine how the lens and retina pigmented epithelial layer are constructed, what proteolytic mechanisms are involved in assembly and maintenance of these critical cell layers during aging or stress, and how nutrients and diet can be exploited in order to prolong the functional life of proteases. To establish animal models to determine foods and nutrients that offer protection against onset, or progress, of age-related cataract and age-related macular degeneration, and that also allow for investigations into the mechanisms of these debilities.

Approach:
In order to test the risk for onset and progress of cataract or AMD, we are grading lens and retina images from 600 people from whom we obtained such photographs at baseline and 5 years thereafter. The extent of change in indicators of cataract and AMD are being associated with amounts of intake of the respective foods, nutrients, and alcoholic beverages, as well as with the time interval of intake of specific nutrient supplements. The ODS rat is being fed different levels of galacatose to induce cataracts. It is also being fed various levels of ascorbate and vitamin E to determine its requirements and the optimal amounts of these nutrients which will delay the onset and progress of the lens abnormality. The function of the ubiquitin pathway in removal of damaged proteins is being investigated in cell-free, in vitro, in vivo, and in transgenic animals in which we directed synthesis of mutant ubiquitin to the eye lens.