Antioxidants Prevention of Diabetic Damage in the Organ Culture Bovine Lenses

Abstract

Oxidative stress represents a mechanism which could lead to diabetic cataract. We exposed bovine lenses in culture conditions for two weeks to high glucose concentration (450 mg%) and investigated the damage to the lens and possible protection by special antioxidants - N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and the zinc complex of desferrioxamine (DFO), a selective chelator for iron. We monitored the optical quality of the lenses and the oxidation of the epithelium with dichlorofluorescein (DCF) assay, as well as the changes in lens proteins profile by 2D gel electrophoresis. Under high glucose changes in lens focal length, increased oxidation, and changes in lens crystalline were observed. NAC and Zn- DFO nearly completely protected the lenses; DFO showed only partial protection. The results demonstrated that antioxidants should be considered as treatment modality protecting the lens from high glucose damage. It is proposed that a combination of NAC and Zn/DFO could prove highly efficient.