Abstract
Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is an important risk factor in cataractogenesis. Lens epithelial cells (LECs), which are a highly metabolically active part of the lens, play an important role in UV-induced cataractogenesis. The purpose of this study was to characterize cell compounds such as nucleic acids, proteins, and lipids in human UV C-irradiated anterior lens capsules (LCs) with LECs, as well as to compare them with the control, non-irradiated LCs of patients without cataract, by using synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) micro-spectroscopy. In order to understand the effect of the UV C on the LC bio-macromolecules in a context of cataractogenesis, we used the SR-FTIR micro-spectroscopy setup installed on the beamline MIRAS at the Spanish synchrotron light source ALBA, where measurements were set to achieve a single-cell resolution with high spectral stability and high photon flux. UV C irradiation of LCs resulted in a significant effect on protein conformation with protein formation of intramolecular parallel β-sheet structure, lower phosphate and carboxyl bands in fatty acids and amino acids, and oxidative stress markers with significant increase of lipid peroxidation and diminishment of the asymmetric CH3 band.
Highlights
By using a novel setup at the ALBA synchrotron and the synchrotron radiation-based Fourier transform infrared (SR-FTIR) micro-spectroscopy endstation MIRAS, we evaluated and compared the complete bio-macromolecular information in UV C-irradiated and non-irradiated lens capsules (LCs)
We found that oxidative stress was significantly higher in UV C-irradiated LC
The results of the presented SRFTIR micro-spectroscopy analysis of the LC compounds after UV C irradiation, even though the sample of UV-irradiated human LCs was small, clearly showed evident differences in comparison to the control, non-irradiated LCs compounds
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. The eye is the organ most exposed to sunlight as well as artificial light sources [1]. Factors such as ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and oxidative stress can induce both in vivo and in vitro cataract formation, which is the leading cause of blindness worldwide [2,3]. The UV light radiation has been shown to be an important factor in cataractogenesis [3]. A common photobiological scheme classifies UV irradiation into three divisions according to their wavelength: UV C (100–280 nm), UV B (280–315 nm), and UV
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