title: Changes of glutathione and taurine concentrations in lenses of rat eyes induced by galactose-cataract formation or ageing.
abstract: Sulphur-containing compounds in the lens were studied in relation to galactose cataract formation. Female Wistar rats were fed a 35% galactose diet and the changes in lens sulphur concentration and its distribution on a gel filtration column were compared with age-related changes. Concentration of sulphur in the whole lens decreased with time. A low constant level was attained on the fifth day of the galactose diet. A decrease of sulphur concentration in the soluble fraction of the lens paralleled that of the whole lens which was correlated with the decrease of glutathione and taurine concentrations on a gel filtration column by high-performance liquid chromatography-inductively coupled argon plasma atomic emission spectrometry (HPLC-ICP). Concentration of magnesium in the lens decreased after the fifth day, while the ratio of sodium to potassium increased. These changes in sulphur-containing compounds and metals were observed prior to the onset of cataract formation.
authors.affiliation: Eye Institute for the Cataract Foundation, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kasuya
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itoi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sunaga
authors.forename: K T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism*; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D013654:Taurine; D005978:Glutathione; D005690:Galactose