Sulfhydryl Contents of Soluble and Insoluble Lens Proteins in Naphthalene and Traumatic Cataracts in Rabbits

Abstract

A decrease in sulfhydryl contents of both soluble and insoluble lens proteins and an increase in insoluble materials were found to be closely correlated during development of naphthalene cataracts in rabbits. In advanced naphthalene cataracts nonprotein sulfhydryls had disappeared but a part of the protein sulfhydryls was still present. In traumatic cataract, nonprotein sulfhydryls showed a less pronounced and more gradual decline and more than 50% of protein sulfhydryls, both in the soluble and insoluble fractions, remained unoxidized. Therefore, sulfhydryl oxidation may not always be an essential factor during the insolubilization of lens proteins. Since traumatic cataract is initiated by a lesion of the lens capsule, electrolyte and/or water unbalance are more likely the causative factors for alterations of the lens protein structure.