Lipid polarity gradient formed by ω-hydroxy lipids in tear film prevents dry eye disease

eLife

Masatoshi Miyamoto¹  Megumi Sawai¹  Takayuki Sassa¹  Akio Kihara¹ 

[1] Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan;

关键词: dry eye disease;    fatty acids;    fatty acid ω-hydroxylase;    lipids;    meibum;    tears;    Mouse;   

DOI  :  10.7554/eLife.53582

来源: publisher

【 摘 要 】

Meibum lipids form a lipid layer on the outermost side of the tear film and function to prevent water evaporation and reduce surface tension. (O-Acyl)-ω-hydroxy fatty acids (OAHFAs), a subclass of these lipids, are thought to be involved in connecting the lipid and aqueous layers in tears, although their actual function and synthesis pathway have to date remained unclear. Here, we reveal that the fatty acid ω-hydroxylase Cyp4f39 is involved in OAHFA production. Cyp4f39-deficient mice exhibited damaged corneal epithelium and shortening of tear film break-up time, both indicative of dry eye disease. In addition, tears accumulated on the lower eyelid side, indicating increased tear surface tension. In Cyp4f39-deficient mice, the production of wax diesters (type 1ω and 2ω) and cholesteryl OAHFAs was also impaired. These OAHFA derivatives show intermediate polarity among meibum lipids, suggesting that OAHFAs and their derivatives contribute to lipid polarity gradient formation for tear film stabilization.

【 授权许可】

CC BY