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This population-based cross-sectional study investigated the influence of dietary patterns on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a Japanese population. The Tsuruoka Metabolomics Cohort Study enrolled a general population aged 35-74 years from among participants in annual health check-up programs in Tsuruoka City, Japan. Eating habits were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. Principal component analysis was used to identify dietary patterns among food items. The association between quartiles of scores for each dietary pattern and intermediate AMD was assessed using multivariate logistic regression models. Of 3433 participants, 415 had intermediate AMD. We identified four principal components comprising the Vegetable-rich pattern, Varied staple food pattern, Animal-rich pattern, and Seafood-rich pattern. After adjusting for potential confounders, higher Varied staple food diet scores were associated with a lower prevalence of intermediate AMD (fourth vs. first quartile) (OR, 0.63; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.46-0.86). A significant trend of decreasing ORs for intermediate AMD associated with increasing Varied staple food diet scores was noted (p for trend = 0.002). There was no significant association between the other dietary patterns and intermediate AMD. In a Japanese population, individuals with a dietary pattern score high in the Varied staple food pattern had a lower prevalence of intermediate AMD.

PURPOSE: To assess the association of dietary saturated fatty acid (SFA) intake with the presence of early AMD in a Japanese population. METHODS: The population-based Tsuruoka Metabolomics Cohort Study enrolled general population individuals aged 35 to 74 years from among participants in annual health check-up programs that included fundus photographs in Tsuruoka, Japan. A total of 4010 individuals participated in the baseline survey. After excluding nonresponders to a dietary survey and participants with suboptimal fundus image quality, 3988 participants (median age, 62.4 years) were included in this cross-sectional analysis. Dietary intake was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. Fatty acids intake was adjusted for total energy intake by the residuals method. The association between fatty acid intake and presence of early AMD was assessed by logistic regression models. RESULTS: Median daily SFA intake was 11.3 g (interquartile range, 9.6, 13.0 g). After adjustments for potential confounding factors, participants in the highest quartile of SFA intake were less likely to have early AMD, compared with the lowest quartile (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% confidence interval: 0.52-0.96). A significant trend for decreased risk of early AMD with increasing SFA intake was noted (P = 0.011). There was no significant association between poly-unsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) including n3-PUFA intake and early AMD. CONCLUSIONS: We found that increased SFA intake was associated with reduced risk of early AMD in a Japanese population with low SFA intake. Adequate fatty acid intake may be required to maintain retinal homeostasis and prevent AMD.

The Tsuruoka Metabolomics Cohort Study included subjects aged 35-74 years from participants in annual health check-up programs in Tsuruoka, Japan. The gender-specific associations of early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with systemic and genetic factors was assessed cross-sectionally. Of these, 3,988 subjects had fundus photographs of sufficient quality, and early AMD was present in 12.3% and 10.3% of men and women, respectively. In men, higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and lower levels of triglycerides were associated with increased odds of having early AMD after adjusting for potential risk factors (for each 1 mmol/L increase, odds ratio [OR]: 1.61 and 0.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.17-2.23 and 0.64-0.96, respectively). In women, higher levels of total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were associated with increased risk of having early AMD (OR: 1.21 and 1.26, 95% CI: 1.01-1.44 and 1.03-1.53, respectively). Sub-analysis demonstrated that women with ARMS2 A69S polymorphisms had a stronger risk for early AMD (OR: 3.25, 95% CI: 2.10-5.04) than men (OR: 1.65, 95% CI: 1.02-2.69). Differential associations of early AMD with both systemic and genetic factors by sex were demonstrated in a Japanese cohort, which suggests that disease process of early AMD could be different by sex.

To investigate the roles of G-protein receptor kinases (GRKs) in the light responses of vertebrate photoreceptors, we generated transgenic zebrafish lines, the rods of which express either cone GRK (GRK7) or rod GRK (GRK1) in addition to the endogenous GRK1, and we then measured the electrophysiological characteristics of single-cell responses and the behavioural responses of intact animals. Our study establishes the zebrafish expression system as a convenient platform for the investigation of specific components of the phototransduction cascade. The addition of GRK1 led to minor changes in rod responses. However, exogenous GRK7 in GRK7-tg animals led to lowered rod sensitivity, as occurs in cones, but surprisingly to slower response kinetics. Examination of responses to long series of very dim flashes suggested the possibility that the GRK7-tg rods generated two classes of single-photon response, perhaps corresponding to the interaction of activated rhodopsin with GRK1 (giving a standard response) or with GRK7 (giving a very small response). Behavioural measurement of optokinetic responses (OKR) in intact GRK7-tg zebrafish larvae showed that the overall rod visual pathway was less sensitive, in accord with the lowered sensitivity of the rods. These results help provide an understanding for the molecular basis of the electrophysiological differences between cones and rods.