Laser scanning analysis of cold cataract in young and old bovine lenses

This research involves the use of a laser scanning instrument to evaluate the formation of cold cataracts in young and older bovine lenses.

Bovine lenses from 18 (n=14) week old calf eyes and approximately 10 (n=7) year old animals were extracted in a sterile environment. The lenses were placed in a specialized glass chamber with temperature controlled circulating culture medium. The temperature cycle inside the chamber started at 37 degrees C, slowly cooled to 4 degrees C, and then warmed back up to 37 degrees C. A laser scanning system (ScanTox) was used to analyze the optical quality of bovine lenses during a cooling and warming cycle.

The relative light transmittance was measured as a function of pixel excitation caused by refracted beams and compared to pre-treatment measures. Each lens from each age group showed a significant decrease in transmittance at 4 degrees C, which recovered when the lenses were warmed to 37 degrees C. Lenses from young eyes showed less loss of refracted beam intensity than lenses from older eyes (32% versus 34%), although the difference was not significant.

The results of the present study indicate cold cataracts can be induced in both old and young bovine lenses, as shown by using a scanning laser instrument.