Cysteamine induces cataracts in newborn rats.
Daily subcutaneous injections of cysteamine (CSH) administered to neonatal rats for 6 to 11 days cause dense bilateral cataracts that are evident at eye opening and that are permanent. CSH has been previously shown to induce protein cross-linking by the formation of abnormal disulfide bonds. It is hypothesized that the same mechanism underlies its cataractogenic effect; as such, CSH may be a useful agent in the study of models of senile cataract formation in humans.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002386:Cataract / Q000139:chemically induced*; D003543:Cysteamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D003543:Cysteamine