Abstract

CLINICAL ANALYSIS OF WATER- SOLUBLE AND UREA-SOLUBLE LENS PROTEINS DURING AGING AND CATARACTOGENESIS

Prof. Dr. Ajit Vinodchandra Pandya*

Abstract

The colour of the lens is associated with urea-insoluble protein fractions. The human eye lens protein in normal condition contributes 35% of the wet weight of the lens, and crystalline account for more than 75 % of the soluble proteins of the lens. The cause and phenomenon of cataract development may be same but the changes in protein fractions are different. It shows decrease in percentages of water soluble fraction and increase in percentages of urea soluble. The average values of WS, US, proteins in normal human lenses are 302.60 ± 31, 67.87 ± 4.7, ug/mg (mean ± s.e.) respectively. Similarly the average values of the same protein fractions in cataractous lenses are 143.03 ± 14.8, 87.45 ± 8.7, ug/mg (mean ± s.e.) respectively. The results presented in the current study show both cataract formation and normal ageing are accompanied by a decrease in the solubility of the lens proteins.

Keywords: Human, Ageing, Cataractous, Lens, Protein fractions.