title: Galactitol is not a cause of senile cataract.
abstract: It has been postulated that the accumulation of sugar alcohol, galactitol, from milk induces cataract in the eye lens through an osmotic mechanism. In this study the concentrations of galactitol and other sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol and inositol) were measured by sensitive gas chromatography in the lenses of 15 patients operated on for senile idiopathic cataracts and in 14 clear lenses removed at autopsy. Large amounts of inositol (mean +/- SD, 4.1 +/- 3.1 vs 4.7 +/- 3.0 mumol/g lens wet weight) and small amounts of mannitol and sorbitol were detected in both study groups. Galactitol levels remained clearly below the detection limit (2 nmol/g) in all lenses. It seems unlikely that senile cataract is a result of the accumulation of galactitol in the eye lens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arola
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sillanaukee
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Aine
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koivula
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isokoski
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D005260:Female; D004376:Galactitol / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007294:Inositol / Q000032:analysis; D007789:Lactose Tolerance Test; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000737:chemistry; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008892:Milk / Q000009:adverse effects; D013402:Sugar Alcohols / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D013402:Sugar Alcohols; D004376:Galactitol; D007294:Inositol