In healthy eyes, the tear film lipid layer (TFLL) is considered to act as an evaporation resistant barrier, which prevents eyes from drying. Seeking to understand the mechanisms behind the evaporation resistance of the TFLL, we studied mixtures of lipid layer wax esters and O-acyl-ω-hydroxy fatty acids. Analyzing their self-assembly and biophysical properties led to new discoveries concerning the structure and function of the TFLL. We discovered how these lipids self-assemble at the air–water interface and form an efficient antievaporative barrier, demonstrating for the first time how the interaction of different tear film lipid species can improve the evaporation resistance compared with individual lipid classes on their own. These results provide a potential mechanism for the evaporation resistance of the lipid layer. In addition, the results serve as a base for the future development of improved dry eye treatments and other applications where the evaporation of water represents a significant challenge.

中文翻译：

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泪膜脂质层结构：O-酰基-ω-羟基脂肪酸和蜡酯自组装成抗蒸发单层

在健康的眼睛中，泪膜脂质层 (TFLL) 被认为是一种抗蒸发屏障，可防止眼睛干燥。为了了解 TFLL 蒸发阻力背后的机制，我们研究了脂质层蜡酯和O-酰基-ω-羟基脂肪酸。分析它们的自组装和生物物理特性导致了关于 TFLL 结构和功能的新发现。我们发现了这些脂质如何在空气-水界面自组装并形成有效的抗蒸发屏障，首次证明了与单独的单个脂质类别相比，不同泪膜脂质种类的相互作用如何提高蒸发阻力。这些结果为脂质层的蒸发阻力提供了潜在的机制。此外，这些结果可作为未来开发改进的干眼症治疗和其他应用的基础，其中水分蒸发是一个重大挑战。