Effects of long‐term chloroquine exposure on the phospholipid metabolism in retina and pigment epithelium of the mouse

Abstract

The influence of 6 month's treatment of normal mice with chloroquine on neuroretina and retinal pigment epithelium has been investigated biochemically and morphologically. All classes of neuroretinal phospholipids, except lysophosphatidylcholine, showed increased ¹⁴C‐glucose incorporation after chloroquine treatment. No metabolic changes were observed in the pigment epithelium after the chloroquine treatment. Morphological signs of phospholipidosis were only evident in the ganglion cells of the neuroretina. It is concluded that long‐term treatment with chloroquine does not affect pigment epithelium phospholipid metabolism but leads to morphological and biochemical signs of phospholipidosis in the neuroretina.