Para-Chlorophenylalanine induces lenticular opacities by prenatal, neonatal, and juvenile treatments, but not by adult treatment, in rats.

Abstract

The lenticular opacities induced by the administration of para-chlorophenylalanine (PCPA) during the different developmental periods were investigated in rats. Rats were given PCPA (100 or 200 mg/kg) during prenatal, neonatal, juvenile, and adult periods, and their lenses were observed ophthalmologically. The prenatal treatment with PCPA on gestation days 14-20 (GD 14-20) produced lenticular opacities that were detected in the area of the lens nucleus (pin-head opacity), and the neonatal treatment on postnatal days 0-40 (PD 0-40) produced mature cataracts. The juvenile treatment on PD 14-40 produced opacities in the posterior area as early as the day following the first treatment (PD 15). When the administration was continued, mature cataract was developed. However, we did not detect any changes in the lens of the adult rat (over 11 weeks of age) treated with the same dose of PCPA. These results suggest that the incidence of a PCPA-induced cataract depends on the age of the animals when PCPA is administered.