title: Human diabetic cataract: role of lipid peroxidation.
abstract: To test whether impaired glutathione redox status may be related to lens oxidative damage in humans, we measured glutathione (total and oxidised forms) and malondialdehyde, a lipid peroxidation product, in clear lenses and diabetic and non-diabetic cataracts. Diabetic cataracts were divided into 2 subgroups with either intact or abnormal haemo-ocular barrier as evaluated by preoperative iridography. Decreased total glutathione values were observed in cataractous (diabetic and non-diabetic) as compared to clear lenses (p < 0.001), whereas enhanced oxidised glutathione levels were found in diabetic caracts as compared to non-diabetic ones and clear lenses (p < 0.001). Malondialdehyde concentrations were significantly higher in all types of cataracts, especially myopic and diabetic ones, than in clear lenses (p < 0.001). Moreover, malondialdehyde levels in diabetic lenses were inversely correlated with total glutathione (r = 0.80; p < 0.001) and linearly correlated with oxidised glutathione values (r = 0.76; p < 0.001). Finally, glutathione redox status was found to be more seriously impaired in lenses from diabetic patients with abnormal than intact haemo-ocular barrier. These data suggest a contributory role of lipid peroxidation and glutathione oxidation and consumption in the pathogenesis of cataract, especially in diabetic lenses with haemo-ocular barrier abnormality.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Medica I-Università degli Studi di Bari, Italia.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Altomare
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vendemiale
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Grattagliano
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angelini
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Micelli-Ferrari
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cardia
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002386:Cataract / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D019270:Fructosamine; D005978:Glutathione / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide; D006595:Hexosamines / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000378:metabolism*; D015227:Lipid Peroxidation; D008297:Male; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000150:complications / Q000378:metabolism; D012016:Reference Values; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000032:analysis; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006595:Hexosamines; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D014280:Triglycerides; D019270:Fructosamine; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D002784:Cholesterol; D005978:Glutathione; D019803:Glutathione Disulfide