Effects of UV-A radiation on lens epithelial NaK-ATPase in organ culture.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the mechanisms involved in the damage caused by UV-A irradiation at 365 nm on the eye lens.


METHODS
Bovine lenses obtained from animals 1 to 5 years of age were placed in specially designed organ culture chambers for preincubation. Twenty-four hours later, the lenses were irradiated by 33 J/cm2 UV-A at 365 nm. During irradiation, the lenses were oriented in the culture so that the anterior surface faced the incident UV-A radiation source. After irradiation, lens optical quality was monitored throughout the 8 days of the culture period, and lens samples were taken for analysis of NaK-ATPase activity.


RESULTS
Lens optics and NaK-ATPase activity were affected by irradiation of 33 J/cm2. The effects on lens epithelial NaK-ATPase activity were stronger at the equators than at the center. The damage to the activity at the center was reversible, as the lens optically recovered from the LW-A damage.


CONCLUSIONS
Lens NaK-ATPase activity can recover from damage caused by UV-A at 365 nm. When the lenses received irradiation of 33 J/cm2, NaK-ATPase activity recovered from the damage during the culture period only at the center and not at the equators of the epithelium.
Dovrat
A
A
B. Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa.
Weinreb
O
O
D000818:Animals; D000869:Anterior Eye Segment; D002417:Cattle; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase / Q000378:metabolism*; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
D000254:Sodium-Potassium-Exchanging ATPase