Localization of neutral and acidic glycosphingolipids in rat lens

Rat lens was found to contain several neutral and acidic glycosphingolipids in lens epithelia, cortex and nucleus, and showed developmental changes in their content and localization. TLC-immunostaining of gangliosides revealed the enrichment of some ganglio-series gangliosides (GM3, GM1, GD3 and GD1b) in lens epithelia and the presence of GM3 and GD3 in the lens nucleus. Immunohistochemical studies confirmed the distribution of GM3 and GM1 in anterior lens epithelial cells and the cortex, with expression decreasing toward the lens nucleus. Immunoreaction to GD3 was more intense in the lens nucleus than in epithelial cells. In contrast, the expression of neolacto-series glycosphingolipids was restricted to the lens nucleus. In order to investigate the pathological changes of glycosphingolipids in cataract, galactose-induced cataractous lenses were examined. However, no significant changes were observed in the content and composition of glycosphingolipids. In addition, Lewisx epitopes found in human cataractous lenses were not detected in the cataractous lenses of galactosaemic rats and hereditary cataractous Emory mice.