Confirmation of lens hydration by Raman spectroscopy

Lens hydration was monitored by laser Raman spectroscopy in WBN/Kob rats which form spontaneous diabetes at about 1 yr of age and develop cataracts approximately 6 months after the onset of diabetes. Lens hydration in response to chronic hyperglycemic stress in these rats appeared predominantly in the cortical region while the hydration state in the nuclear region was fairly preserved. The 9-month treatment of similarly diabetic rats with the aldose reductase inhibitor Ponalrestat sufficiently suppressed lens hydration in the cortical and nuclear regions.