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Swelling of the lens fibers

1975; Elsevier BV; Volume: 21; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0014-4835(75)90048-2

1096-0007

M Sakuragawa, Toichiro Kuwabara, Jin H. Kinoshita, Henry N. Fukui,

Connexins and lens biology

Lens cells of congenital mouse cataract (Nakano and Fraser strains) and galactose-fed rats were studied by scanning electron microscopy. Similarly lens cells of normal young mice and rats were examined as controls. Normal lenses of young rodents consist of lens fibers in all maturation stages which have been demonstrated in humans and in monkeys. Lens cells in the congenitally cataractous lenses are irregular in size and shape in the earlier stage of the cataract formation. Swelling of the lens cell occurs corresponding to the occurrence of early optical opacity. Swelling of the cell occurs segmentally in congential cataractous lenses; in the apical ends (Fraser) and in the posterior ends (Nakano). Similar swelling of the lens cell is observed in the main cell body in the superficial lens cortex of galactose-fed rats. However, numerous intercellular cysts are formed by the accumulation of fluid which may have been pumped out of the cells before the cells became degenerative. These numerous shrunken fibers are present among swollen cells in both congenital and galactose-induced cataractous lenses.