Periods of oscillatory growth in developing ocular lens correspond with cell cycle times

Lens growth rates oscillated throughout neonatal rat lens development. Changes in weight, soluble protein content, and cell division were quantitatively analyzed between birth and 26 days of age. Fourier analysis of daily changes in total weight and soluble protein content identified reproducible periodicities of 50-57 hours. Shorter periodicities of 14-18 hours and 18-21 hours were found by analyzing changes in lens dry weight/6 hours and cell division/7 hours. Changes in dry weight and cell division also contained a second periodicity of 36 hours and 30-43 hours, respectively. The periods of observed oscillations corresponded to the length of stages of the lens epithelial cell cycle. Oscillating growth rates during development emphasize the importance of oscillatory patterns during lens epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation, and tissue development.