Abstract
Purpose: To evaluate the histopathologic alterations of organelles in the epithelium of the anterior lens capsule. Methods: The interventional study included 26 eyes; of which 11 had non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy (diabetic group) and cataract, and 15 had age-related cataract (control group). We investigated the anterior lens capsule in patients with diabetes mellitus by using electron microscopy and to compare it between diabetic eyes and healthy eyes. Anterior capsule samples were obtained by circular continuous capsulorhexis during phacoemulsification procedures. All the samples were fixed and conventionally processed for electron microscopy analysis. Results: Demographic characteristics of the diabetic group and the control group were similar (p > 0.05). In the diabetic group, electron dense cells with an apoptotic appearance were seen and these cells had an apoptotic nucleus and prominent mitochondrial crystalysis. In addition, there was dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum cistern. In the control group, lens epithelial cells and all their elements had a normal pattern. Neither cells with an apoptotic appearance nor mitochondrial crystalysis was seen, but there was dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum cistern. Conclusions: Diabetes mellitus can engender structural abnormalities of organelles in the epithelium of the anterior lens capsule including mitochondrial crystalysis, dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum cistern and apoptotic dense nucleus. It can be suggested that diabetes mellitus affects organelles of anterior lens epithelium in eyes with cataracts, while it causes non-proliferative changes in the retina.
Highlights
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most significant cause of blindness in the world
Diabetes-related reactions are responsible for structural and functional changes in the eyes, and these changes are suspected of contributing to development of long-term diabetic complications like cataracts, glaucoma and retinopathy if DM is not kept under control well [1] [2]
The study comprised a total of 26 eyes with cataracts, of which 11 belonged to patients with Type II DM consecutively presenting to hospital (Diabetic Group = diabetic group (DG)) and 15 belonged to nondiabetic patients with age related cataract (Control Group = control group (CG))
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is the most significant cause of blindness in the world. Diabetes-related reactions are responsible for structural and functional changes in the eyes, and these changes are suspected of contributing to development of long-term diabetic complications like cataracts, glaucoma and retinopathy if DM is not kept under control well [1] [2].Cataracts are one of the complications of DM starting the earliest. How excess glucose initiates cataract development in patients with diabetes mellitus has not been explained yet. The structure of the normal lens is almost perfectly transparent, which is regulated by physical and chemical processes. Disruption of these processes in the lens capsule and the epithelium can result in lens opacification and cataract formation [6]. Histopathologic alterations of organelles in the epithelium of the anterior lens capsule with diabetic eyes have not been studied previously. We investigated transmission electron microscopic findings of the epithelium of the anterior lens capsule in patients with DM and compared them with those from age matched controls
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