Regional enzymatic analysis of UV-B and streptozotocin induced diabetic cataract lens

As the UV-B cataract and early stages of diabetic cataract in rats only touches the epithelium and anterior superficial cortex, a whole lens analysis is not meaningful, but a regional analysis with the freeze-sectioning device has to be performed. Scheimpflug photography with microdensitometric image analysis enables the scientist to discern in vivo single layers along the optical axis of the lens. UV-B cataracts (0.2 J/cm2, every 2nd day) and diabetic cataracts (Streptozotocin (STZ), 70 mg/kg BW) were induced in Brown-Norway rats. The stages of lens opacification were documented by Scheimpflug photography. 8 weeks after start of UV-B treatment and at several dates before onset of visible diabetic cataractous changes, the animals were sacrificed. The lenses were divided reproducibly into 4 or 7 parts such as an equatorial ring and several layers of the central cylinder from anterior to posterior part. The enzyme activity spectrum shows highly region related pattern that would not have been found in a whole lens analysis. Aldose reductase was activated before appearance of visible cataractous changes due to diabetes compared to normal lenses. In contrast Fructose-1,6-biphosphate-aldolase activity was lower before onset of visible changes than in normal lenses, but only within the 1st section where later visible cataractous changes of UV-B cataract could be detected.