Authors
Varma SD. Ramachandran S. Devamanoharan PS. Morris SM. Ali AH.
Institution
University of Maryland at Baltimore, School of Medicine, Department of
Ophthalmology 21201, USA.
Title
Prevention of oxidative
damage to rat lens by pyruvate in vitro: possible
attenuation in vivo.
Source
Current Eye Research. 14(8):643-9, 1995 Aug.
Abstract
Studies have been conducted to assess the possible preventive effect of
pyruvate against lens protein oxidation and consequent denaturation and
insolubilization. Rat lens organ culture system was used for these studies.
The content of water insoluble proteins (urea soluble) increased if the
lenses were cultured in medium containing hydrogen peroxide. Incorporation of
pyruvate in the medium prevented such insolubilization. The insolubilization
was associated primarily with loss of gamma crystallin fraction of the
soluble proteins. PAGE analysis demonstrated that insolubilization is related
to -S-S- bond formation which was preventable by pyruvate. Since pyruvate is
a normal tissue metabolite the findings are considered pathophysiologically
significant against cataract formation. This was apparent by the
prevention of selenite cataract in vivo by intraperitoneal
administration of pyruvate.