title: Impairment of eye lens cell physiology and optics by broadband ultraviolet A-ultraviolet B radiation.
abstract: The phototoxicity of ultraviolet A (UVA) alone and UVA plus ultraviolet B (UVB) combined on cultured porcine lenses was investigated by analyzing cellular function as measured with a fluorescence bioassay approach and optical integrity, in terms of sharpness of the lens focus as measured with a scanning laser system. The bioassay consisted of carboxyfluorescein diacetate-acetoxymethyl ester and alamarBlue fluorescent dyes. Aseptically dissected porcine lenses were maintained in modified medium 199 without phenol red supplemented with 1% penicillin-streptomycin and 4% porcine serum. At 1 week of preincubation, baseline measurements were obtained. Then the lenses were treated with single exposures of different UVA and UVB energy levels. The lenses treated with 86 J/cm2 UVA alone showed a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in cellular and optical integrity at 48 h after exposure, whereas those treated with 43 J/cm2 UVA alone did not show significant phototoxic effect. Lenses treated with 15.63 J/cm2 UVA plus 0.019 J/cm2 UVB combined showed significant adverse effects beginning from 48 h after exposure. Also, there was no recovery. These findings show that a high UVA dose alone and relatively low UVA in combination with low UVB radiant exposure can impair lens cellular and optical functions, respectively.
authors.affiliation: School of Optometry, University of Waterloo, ON, Canada. loriowo@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Oriowo
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Cullen
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Sivak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000502:physiology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D013552:Swine; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays
chemical_list: D005456:Fluorescent Dyes