Aging affects the conformation of cholesterol in the human eye lens.
The distribution of 3-beta-OH-cholesterol along the optical axis of 20 human eye lenses of different ages was measured using confocal Raman microspectroscopy in combination with the 3-beta-hydroxysteroid-specific probe filipin. This non-destructive technique allow a spatially very detailed study of the distribution of 3-beta-OH-cholesterol in individual lenses. It revealed age-related changes of the 3-beta-OH-cholesterol distribution along the optical axis. The 3-beta-OH-cholesterol was found to be distributed asymmetrically along the optical axis and this distribution was found to change with age. The relative 3-beta-OH-cholesterol content in the anterior part of the lens decreases significantly with increasing age compared with its equal posterior counterpart. Additionally all the lenses have a very low 3-beta-OH-cholesterol content in the central part of their nuclear region, the area where the primary lens fibres are located.
Duindam
J J
JJ
Netherlands Ophthalmic Research Institute, Department of Morphology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Vrensen
G F
GF
Otto
C
C
Greve
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D002648:Child; D005372:Filipin; D006801:Humans; D006888:Hydroxycholesterols / Q000737:chemistry*; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008875:Middle Aged
D006888:Hydroxycholesterols; D005372:Filipin