title: Lenticular rubidium uptake in hypertensive 'cataract-prone' salt-sensitive rats.
abstract: We have previously reported a high incidence of cataract formation in adult hypertensive salt-sensitive rats, suggesting that hypertension may be an important cataractogenic risk factor. Weanling salt-sensitive rats that eventually developed cataracts showed a marked increase in the pressor response to a high-sodium diet compared to salt-sensitive rats that did not develop cataracts. A lens and aqueous fluid electrolyte imbalance occurred in all adult salt-sensitive rats examined, but was greater in the salt-sensitive rats that developed cataracts, suggesting an alteration in lens and/or ciliary ion transport in cataracts associated with hypertension. In the present study, lens 86Rb uptake was measured in adult hypertensive salt-sensitive rats prior to cataract formation. 'Cataract-prone' salt-sensitive hypertensive rats (increased pressor response to a high sodium diet given at weanling age), salt-sensitive hypertensive rats unlikely to develop cataracts and control salt-resistant rats were studied at the age of 16 weeks. Total and ouabain-insensitive lens 86Rb uptake were measured for the determination of ouabain-sensitive uptake, an index of Na+,K+-ATPase activity. Lens ouabain-sensitive 86Rb uptake was low in adult hypertensive cataract-prone salt-sensitive rats before cataract formation compared with values in control resistant rats. Intermediate values were observed in hypertensive salt-sensitive rats unlikely to develop cataracts. These data suggest that altered ion transport may play a pivotal role in cataractogenesis associated with this model of hypertension. The data are also consistent with the concept of a generalized defect in epithelial ion transport, at least in salt-sensitive hypertension.
authors.affiliation: Research Service, San Juan Veterans Hospital, Puerto Rico.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Sargent
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Estapé-Wainwright
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Cangiano
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Irizarry
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Maldonado
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology*; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D012413:Rubidium / Q000378:metabolism*; D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012982:Sodium, Dietary; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase; D012413:Rubidium