title: [The early biochemical changes of cataractous lenses of rats cultured in vitro].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the mechanism of cataractogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Tissue culture was used to study the cataractous lenses of rats induced by sodium selenite or galactose. At the early stage, the content of nonprotein sulfhydryl (NP-SH), protein sulfhydryl (P-SH), non-soluble disulfide bond, malonaldehyde (MDA) and the activities of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX), glutathione reductase (GSSG-R) and glutathione-S-transferase (GSH-S) were measured in the cataractous lenses, and they were compared with that of the normal lenses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two kinds of material could all induce cataract in rats, sodium selenite being more potent. In the early period of culture (lenses were transparent), NP-SH and P-SH were decreased, while disulfide and MDA were increased, the activity of GSH-PX rose obviously, that of GSH-S also had a tendency of rise, however, the activity of GSSG-R had no obvious changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Rat lens opacity may occur after the lens is cultured in vitro with the addition of sodium selenite or galactose, and biochemical changes may develop in the lens at the early period of culture (lenses are transparent).
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tong Ren Hospital, Beijing 100073, China.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000139:chemically induced*; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose / Q000009:adverse effects*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D018038:Sodium Selenite / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D018038:Sodium Selenite; D005690:Galactose