Confocal microscopy of human lens membranes in aged normal and nuclear cataracts.
OBJECTIVE
To visualize the structure and determine the continuity of lipid membranes in lens fiber cells (LFCs) from human aged normal and cataractous lenses.


METHODS
Thick sections from human nuclear cataracts and aged normal lenses were stained with the lipophilic probe DiI, and then analyzed by confocal microscopy. Staining patterns of membranes were observed in individual optical sections or three-dimensional projections of z-series taken in longitudinal section and cross-section of LFCs from different regions within the lens nucleus.


RESULTS
DiI bound to and delineated the plasma membrane of LFCs from all regions of the lens nucleus. Three-dimensional projections of z-series from aged normal and cataractous lenses suggested that some of the stained lipid membranes were not continuous with LFC plasma membrane of cataractous lenses.


CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained using these methods demonstrated that lipid membranes, discontinuous with the plasma membrane of LFCs, were indicative of a novel process occurring predominately in cataractous human lenses.
Boyle
D L
DL
Division of Biology, Kansas State University, Manhattan 66506-4901, USA.
Takemoto
L J
LJ
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002232:Carbocyanines / Q000378:metabolism; D002386:Cataract / Q000473:pathology*; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007907:Lens Nucleus, Crystalline / Q000473:pathology*; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000166:cytology*; D008563:Membrane Lipids / Q000378:metabolism; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008875:Middle Aged
D002232:Carbocyanines; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D008563:Membrane Lipids; C024286:3,3'-dioctadecylindocarbocyanine