Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0086543 (cataract)
 29,165 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Ultraviolet light is a non-ionizing radiation that induces photochemical reactions in the tissue. Its spectral A and B ranges are partially absorbed by the cornea and/or lens thus causing damage on the cellular, cell physiological and molecular level. UV-A does not seem to damage the cornea permanently and its effects in the lens have a very prolonged latency period. Typical reactions of the cornea are oedema, punctuate keratitis (photoelectric keratitis) and neovascularization. In the lens all reactions that could be evidenced, were located in the epithelium and in the outer cortical fiber cells. In vivo UV-A induces swelling and slight vacuolation of the anterior suture system, but apart from these transient effects, only very limited permanent damage could be demonstrated. UV-B induces the formation of an anterior subcapsular cataract, starting also with vacuolation of the suture system. These morphological characteristics can be visualized at the slitlamp microscope. Histologically, sutural irregularities (UV-A) and epithelial hyperplasia with capsular multiplication (UV-B) as well as disintegration of the anterior suture system could be observed. Patho-physiologically, a reduction of lens fresh weight (UV-B) as well as changes of the equilibrium of reduced and oxidized glutathione (GSH/GSSG) could be demonstrated. On the protein-biochemical level, changes in the ratio of water-soluble versus water-insoluble protein could be evidenced, as well as effects on specific crystallin fractions, namely alpha-crystallin. In addition, the appearance of a newly synthetized 31 kDa protein could be demonstrated in UV-B irradiated mice.
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PMID:In vivo studies on the effect of UV-radiation on the eye lens in animals. 763 91

The enhancement of UVB on the surface of the earth due to stratospheric ozone depletion may increase the risk of photochemically induced cataract. In this study, changes in the content of certain biological parameters were used as a marker to study ocular toxicity. A significant enhancement in the level of H2O2, LP and Pi, along with the depletion of GSH (antioxidant-defence system) in serum, aqueous humor and lens of albino mice exposed to UVB was observed. The level of Ca++ increased in serum and aqueous humor but decreased considerably in the lens due to increase in UVB exposure. These observations provide further clues to support the involvement of oxidative stress and Ca++ in the events leading to the formation of cataract.
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PMID:Ultraviolet-B effects on ocular tissues. 775 17

Nuclear cataract, a major cause of loss of lens transparency in the aging human, has long been thought to be associated with oxidative damage, particularly at the site of the nuclear plasma membrane. However, few animal models have been available to study the mechanism of the opacity. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) has been shown to produce increased nuclear light scattering (NLS) and nuclear cataract in lenses of mice and human patients. In the present study, older guinea pigs (Initially 17-18 months of age) were treated with 2.5 atmospheres of 100% O2 for 2-2.5-hr periods, three times per week, for up to 100 times. Examination by slit-lamp biomicroscopy showed that exposure to HBO led to increased NLS in the lenses of the animals after as few as 19 treatments, compared to lenses of age-matched untreated and hyperbaric air-treated controls. The degree of NLS and enlargement of the lens nucleus continued to increase until 65 O2-treatments, and then remained constant until the end of the study. Exposure to O2 for 2.5 instead of 2 hr accelerated the increase in NLS; however, distinct nuclear cataract was not observed in the animals during the period of investigation. A number of morphological changes in the experimental lens nuclei, as analysed by transmission electron microscopy, were similar to those recently reported for human immature nuclear cataracts (Costello, Oliver and Cobo, 1992). O2-induced damage to membranes probably acted as scattering centers and caused the observed increased NLS. A general state of oxidative stress existed in the lens nucleus of the O2-treated animals, prior to the first appearance of increased NLS, as evidenced by increased levels of protein-thiol mixed disulfides and protein disulfide. The levels of mixed disulfides in the experimental nucleus were remarkably high, nearly equal to the normal level of nuclear GSH. The level of GSH in the normal guinea pig lens decreased with age in the nucleus but not in the cortex; at 30 months of age the nuclear level of GSH was only 4% of the cortical value. HBO-induced changes in the lens nucleus included loss of soluble protein, increase in urea-insoluble protein and slight decreases in levels of GSH and ascorbate; however, there was no accumulation of oxidized glutathione. Intermolecular protein disulfide in the experimental nucleus consisted mainly of gamma-crystallin, but crosslinked alpha-, beta- and zeta-crystallins were also present.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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PMID:Nuclear light scattering, disulfide formation and membrane damage in lenses of older guinea pigs treated with hyperbaric oxygen. 778 3

Glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH-PX) and malondialdehyde (MDA) level of experimental traumatic cataract in rabbit were determined at various intervals after needling. GSH-PX activities decreased in the lens after perforated trauma from 8 hours to 21 days, meanwhile the MDA level increased markedly. The results demonstrate that free radicals are involved in the formation of traumatic cataract.
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PMID:[The dynamic changes in glutathione peroxidase activity and malondialdehyde level in experimental traumatic cataract in rabbit]. 780 45

We evaluated the inhibitory effect of melatonin, a recently discovered scavenger of free radicals, on cataract formation in the newborn rat. The glutathione synthesis inhibitor, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) (3 mmol/kg), was intraperitoneally injected into newborn rats for 3 consecutive days starting on day 2 after birth. These glutathione depleted rats develop cataracts. Melatonin (4 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally into half of the rats once a day beginning at day 2 after birth; the other half of the animals received solvent daily. The incidence of cataract was observed on day 16, after the eyes of the newborn animals had opened. Both reduced glutathione (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) levels were measured. Cataracts were observed in all animals (18/18) treated with BSO plus solvent. The incidence of the cataract in the animals cotreated with melatonin was only 6.2% (1/15). Total lenticular glutathione (GSH + GSSG) levels in BSO only treated rats were reduced by 97%. The total glutathione in the lens of the BSO plus melatonin group was significantly higher (by 3%) than that of the BSO only group. The percentage of the total glutathione as GSSG for the BSO plus solvent group was higher than the control value. Cotreatment of BSO injected rats with melatonin (4 mg/kg/day) clearly reduced cataract formation proving that it is directly or indirectly protective against oxidative stress which accompanies glutathione deficiency. The inhibitory effects of melatonin on cataract formation in this study could be due to melatonin's free radical scavenging activity or due to its stimulatory effect on glutathione production.
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PMID:Inhibitory effect of melatonin on cataract formation in newborn rats: evidence for an antioxidative role for melatonin. 786 32

The activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione reductase (GSSG-R), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA) and free radicals were measured, and the morphological changes were observed in the lens of control rats, selenium-deficient (SeD) and/or vitamin E deficient (VED) rats. The activities of GSH-Px in the lens of SeD rats decreased significantly. The GSH-Px activities of lens were positively related to erythrocytes selenium level. There was a free radical at g = 2.0015 in the rat lens of all groups, but the content of free radicals in the lens of SeD group was significantly higher than that of the control group. The free radical content of lens was negatively related to erythrocytes selenium level, as well as the GSH-Px activities in the lens. In vitro, ultraviolet radiation caused the generation of another kind of free radical (g = 2.0097) in the lens of all groups, but the amount of the free radical in the lens of the SeD group was also significantly higher than that of the control group. The activities of SOD and GSSG-R in VED rat lens were significantly decreased. The amount of MDA in the lens of SeD and/or VED rats were significantly increased. The results showed that the decrease of antioxidative capability in the lenses of SeD and/or VED rats accelerated the lipid peroxidation and generation of free radicals. Although only early morphological changes in SeD and/or VED rat lens were observed, it is considered that selenium and vitamin E deficiency may be involved in the occurrence of cataract.
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PMID:Biochemical and morphological changes in the lenses of selenium and/or vitamin E deficient rats. 794 5

The HPLC-EC method has good specificity for the analysis of glutathione, tocopherol, and ascorbate. The same HPLC system can be used for all three analysis with changes of mobile phase and the electrode cell to match the procedure required. The same C18 reversed-phase column has been used with a refillable guard column for 3 years with no noticeable loss of resolving power. The main advantage of the glutathione procedure was the ability to monitor both GSH and GSSG, which allowed us to confirm that loss of GSH in the diabetic rat lens does not result in the appearance of GSSG. The main benefit of the tocopherol procedure was the ability to measure the tocopherol content of a single rat lens. Our previous experience with UV or fluorescence detection showed those methods to be not sensitive enough for a single lens determination. The mammalian lens has the lowest tocopherol content of the tissues of the eye, 10 to 40 times less than most body tissues as measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The better sensitivity of electrochemical detection has allowed for a single lens determination, keeping the number of experimental animals to a minimum. An advantage of the ASC analysis procedure was the extra specificity imparted by both the chromatography and the detector as well as the ability to estimate the total ascorbate (ASC plus DHAA) and DHAA content. Other reducing agents such as GSH and uric acid can interfere in colorimetric methods that rely on the reducing action of ASC. The very high GSH content of the mammalian lens was a concern when choosing a procedure. GSH levels exceeding 10 times the level of lens samples were found to yield no response using the HPLC-EC procedure for ASC. The only disadvantage with electrochemical detection was that the electrode response could drift with time, requiring more frequent calibration with standards. We continue to utilize these methods to examine the prevacuole loss of ASC and GSH in the diabetic rat lens model of cataract.
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PMID:High-performance liquid chromatography-electrochemical detection of antioxidants in vertebrate lens: glutathione, tocopherol, and ascorbate. 801 88

The effects of vanadyl sulfate treatment on susceptibility to oxidative stress were investigated in streptozotocin-diabetic Wistar rats. A 2 x 2 factorial design was employed, with four groups of animals: 1) untreated, non-diabetic; 2) vanadyl-treated, non-diabetic; 3) untreated, diabetic; and 4) vanadyl-treated, diabetic. Vanadyl sulfate was administered as a 1.00 to 1.25 mg/ml solution in drinking water. Cataract development was entirely suppressed in vanadyl-treated compared to untreated, diabetic rats. STZ-induction of diabetes diminished glutathione (GSH) levels in liver homogenates; whereas vanadyl treatment resulted in restored levels of this nonenzymatic antioxidant. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), both basal and iron-stimulated, were significantly elevated in all vanadyl-treated animals. Vanadyl treatment lowered liver glutamine synthetase activities in diabetic rats, but not in non-diabetic animals. Thus, vanadyl treatment was antioxidant in terms of cataract formation and reduced glutathione concentration in liver homogenates, pro-oxidant by reason of iron-stimulated TBARS formation and inconclusive with respect to glutamine synthetase activity. These results highlight the importance of using multiple indicators of peroxidative change in evaluating new pro-oxidant/antioxidant treatment regimens.
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PMID:Effect of vanadyl sulfate feeding on susceptibility to peroxidative change in diabetic rats. 810 Jun 38

The relationship between the activity of the antioxidant defense enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) and the degree of cataract (lens opacity) was examined in 14 Emory mice at the age of 2, 7 and 10 months. Significant decreases in specific GSH-PX activity (mU/mg wet tissue) in the lens as well as in the residual eye tissue were found between 2 and 10 months of age, showing a highly significant correlation of this decrease (r = 0.590, p approximately 0.001) with the increasing degree of turbidity of the lenses. The results are discussed with regard to the changes of antioxidant mechanisms during cataractogenesis and aging. The role of the maintenance of an optimal level of GSH-PX and other well-known antioxidants (enzymes, vitamins, trace elements including iodide) for a delay of cataractogenesis is pointed out.
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PMID:[Changes of Glutathione Peroxidase Activity in Eye Tissues of Emory Mice in Relation to Cataract Status and Age]. 814 88

61 spa patients, predominantly with heart and vascular diseases, were divided into 2 therapeutic groups. In addition to the usual balneotherapeutic program, one group (J) received a course of "iodine brine concentrate" for drinking (2 x 100 ml, daily iodine uptake approximately 9 mg), and the control group (CI) received isotonic NaCl in the same way. The patients were mostly on a reduced-fat and -calorie diet. The following parameters were determined at the beginning and at the end of the 26-day treatment period: total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, lipoprotein (a) (in serum); selenium (Se), malondialdehyde (MDA), and activities of Se-dependent, Se-independent, and total glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) (in plasma). In the J group, a significant increase was found in Se-independent (+17%) and total GSH-PX (+5%) and a significant decrease in total cholesterol (-6.9%) and MDA (-13.2%). At the end of the cure, Se levels were higher in the J group than in the C1 group. The only significant change in the C1 group was a decrease in HDL-cholesterol. Positive correlations were found between selenium and Se-dependent GSH-PX (r = 0.253) and between total GSH-PX and Se-dependent GSH-PX (r = 0.665). A negative correlation was obtained between Se-dependent and Se-independent GSH-PX (r = -0.331). The results are discussed with regard to the importance of antioxidant defense mechanisms in several degenerative diseases (atherosclerosis, diabetes, cataract etc.), and also respecting interactions between iodine and selenium metabolism, as well as normalization effects conditioned by the balneotherapy itself.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Changes in selenium status, antioxidant enzyme activity and lipid peroxide level after drinking cures in Bad Hall health resort]. 814 96


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