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Redox status of the eye lens

A regional study

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Abstract

The aim of this work was to study the regional variation of some antioxidant systems in calf lens. Specific lens regions of nearly same age were obtained by a microsectioning technique, and the concentration of reduced and oxidized glutathione, protein sulfhydryl groups and iron were measured in each lens region. The concentration of reduced glutathione, the major redox buffer in lens, exponentially decreased from the cortical regions to the nucleus. In contrast, the concentration of protein sulfhydryl groups gradually increased from the cortex toward the nucleus. The protein-bound disulfides remained constant throughout the lens. Iron was concentrated in the outer cortical region.

The results show that the most dynamic redox-active zone in the lens is the subcapsular cortical region where the oxidant flux meets a highly reducing environment containing a potent redox catalyst.

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Author notes

  1. Mariana Argirova

    Present address: Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Medical University, 15a Vassil Aprilov Str., 4002, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Experimental Ophthalmology, University of Bonn, Abbéstr. 2, 53105, Bonn, Germany

    Mariana Argirova, Mischa Kleine-Reidick & Winrich Breipohl

Authors
  1. Mariana Argirova
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  2. Mischa Kleine-Reidick
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  3. Winrich Breipohl
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Correspondence to Mariana Argirova.

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Argirova, M., Kleine-Reidick, M. & Breipohl, W. Redox status of the eye lens. Cell Biochem Biophys 41, 381–389 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1385/CBB:41:3:381

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