薬理と治療

Abstract

Objective To examine the potential of bilberry anthocyanins-containing diet(BA diet)to protect the development of asthenopic symptoms induced by video display terminal(VDT)work in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled comparative study with healthy adults. Methods Eleven and 10 subjects were allocated to placebo(placebo group)and BA diet(test group), respectively. BA diet was taken orally for 28 days in a daily dose of 500 mg(57.6 mg as anthocyanins). At day-0(baseline), day-14 and day-28, all subjects were subjected to VDT work-induced asthenopic stresses, and those subjects and those eyes that were susceptible to the stresses were selected for evaluation of subjective asthenoscopic symptoms based on symptom VAS scores and accommodative eye functions using the near point distance and the amplitude of accommodation as parameters. In addition, serum levels of two oxidative stress markers, d-ROMs and BAP, were also determined at each test point. Results BA diet intake for 28 days significantly suppressed VDT work-induced worsening of symptom VAS scores(in within-group comparison), as well as two accommodative function parameters, the amplitude of accommodation(in between-group and within-group comparisons)and the near point distance(in within-group comparison). Our data also show that serum levels of BAP, a marker of antioxidant activity, significantly increased after 28-day intake of BA diet compared to baseline. Conclusions BA diet appears to have a protective effect on the VDT work-induced development of subjective asthenopic symptoms and impairment of the accommodative eye function.