Vitamin C reduces cytochalasin D cataractogenesis

The effect of cytochalasin D (CD), an actin monomer-stabilizer, has been studied on cataract development in rat lenses. Cataractogenesis was induced by incubating the rat lenses in medium 199 (M199) containing 10(-5) M CD; by the end of 24 h, lenses first developed a visible opacity. The increased lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in the culture medium, leakage of lens cytosolic proteins into the culture medium and observable development of opacity through a dissection microscope were correlated with cell damage associated with cataract formation. Non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to separate three lens LDH isoenzymes. The effect of 1 mM vitamin C (VC) in reducing LDH leakage was also examined. The protective effect of VC on CD-initiated cataractous lenses is significant. This suggest that a portion of the opacity and lens damage may involve oxidative damage to the membrane-cytoskeleton complex which is started by CD, but partially prevented by VC