Low de novo glutathione synthesis from circulating sulfur amino acids in the lens epithelium

Transport of circulating sulfur amino acids (SAA) into the lens epithelium and de novo glutathione (GSH) synthesis were studied in the perfused guinea-pig eye. Plasma-to-aqueous transfer of SAA was in their intact form (> or = 98%) and comparable with sucrose (an extracellular marker) within 30 min. The unidirectional transport rates (ml min-1 g-1) of 35S-labeled cystine, cystine and methionine into the epithelium were: 0.0057, 0.0003 and 0.0073 from plasma, and 1.41, 0.005 and 1.69 from aqueous, respectively. The unidirectional epithelial uptake was limited to 1 min for all three [35S]SAA, and the isotopic steady-state ratio was achieved between 1 and 30 min. Cortical uptake was time-dependent and progressive between 1 and 30 min, but undetectable within 1 min. The high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of the epithelium revealed that following 1 min of unidirectional [35S]cysteine transport, 3% of the label was incorporated into GSH and > or = 95% was as cysteine. An average incorporation of [35S]cysteine into GSH within the 30 min period was 0.83% min-1 and 1%/min for the epithelium and cortex, respectively. Infusions of [35S]cystine and methionine failed to demonstrate incorporation into GSH. Maximal rates of de novo GSH epithelial synthesis were approximately 3 and 12 pmol g-1 from plasma and aqueous cysteine, respectively. A t1/2 of 5480 hr was estimated if epithelial GSH had to be replaced exclusively by synthesis from aqueous cysteine. Given the limited aqueous and epithelial cysteine pools, and low (from cysteine) or undetectable (from cystine and methionine) incorporation of the label into GSH, we conclude that de novo GSH synthesis from circulating and aqueous SAA can be only a minor source of the millimolar concentration of GSH in the epithelium.