The lipid perioxidation in the pathogenesis of myopic cataract

PURPOSE : Incresed production of free radicals and oxidation of un saturated lipids has been recently supposed to be pathogenetic importance in the onset of human cataract. Therefore, we assayed the total GSH and oxidized GSSG and Malondialdehyde(MDA) levels in order to evaluate the correlation between the redox status and the transparency of the lens.METHODS: The study was conducted using 34 lenses divided as follows: 9 clear lenses, 14 lenses with idiopathic senile cataract, and 11 lenses with severe myopic cataract. Glutathione determination was performed using the method of Reed, while Malondialdehy de was assayed using a modification of the method of Dahle. RESULTS: Cataractous lenses showed a decreased content of GSH and an increased concentration of GSSG compared to clear lenses. Besides, increased levels of MDA were observed in cataractous lenses compared to the clear ones and in the myopic with respect to the senile. CONCLUSION: The observed alterations may play a possible role in the origin of human cataract, expecially in the myopic type.