title: Distribution and activity of glutathione-S-transferase in normal human lenses and in cataractous human epithelia.
abstract: The distribution of glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activity was determined in frozen normal human lenses. The highest activity of GST was found in the peripheral and equatorial regions, whereas the lowest activity was found in the nucleus. Western blot showed that both mu and pi isoenzymes of GST were present in human lenses. This result is similar to that found in rat lenses. In addition, GST activity was analyzed in 50 lens epithelia which were obtained during cataract surgery. Twenty-seven lens epithelia showed no activity. Statistically significant association was found between cortical and mixed cortical--nuclear cataract and loss of GST activity. No association was found between pure nuclear cataract and loss of epithelial GST activity.
authors.affiliation: Jules Stein Eye Institute, UCLA School of Medicine 90024-7008.
authors.forename: Q L
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Lou
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Straatsma
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Horwitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002386:Cataract / Q000201:enzymology*; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004848:Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000378:metabolism*; D007904:Lens Cortex, Crystalline / Q000201:enzymology; D007907:Lens Nucleus, Crystalline / Q000201:enzymology; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000201:enzymology*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D005982:Glutathione Transferase