CONCENTRATIONS OF SOME RIBONUCLEOTIDES, L‐LACTATE, AND PYRUVATE IN HUMAN SENILE CATARACTOUS LENSES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ANTERIOR CAPSULAR/SUBCAPSULAR OPACITY

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The concentrations of some ribonucleoside tri- and diphosphates, adenosine-5'-monophosphate, L-lactate and pyruvate were determined in human senile cataractous lenses removed during cataract operations. Pyruvate concentrations were found to be negligible (median = 56 mumol/kg lens wet weight) in 15 human senile cataractous lenses. On the basis of correlations between the biomicroscopic appearances of the senile cataractous lenses (N = 80) and the concentrations and ratios of the metabolites in question, the following classification was found to be justified: 1. Immature cataractous lenses without anterior capsular/subcapsular opacity: high levels of ribonucleoside triphosphates (RTP), high sums of RTP, ribonucleoside diphosphates (RDP), and adenosine 5'-monophosphate (AMP) as well as high levels of L-lactate and high ratios of L-lactate in the lens/L-lactate in the aqueous. 2. Immature cataractous lenses with anterior capsular/subcapsular opacity; intermediate levels of RTP, intermediate values for the sums of RTP, RDP, and AMP, high L-lactate levels, and intermediate values of the ratios of L-lactate in the lens/L-lactate in the aqueous. 3. Totally opaque lenses, which all had extensive anterior capsular/subcapsular opacity; low values for the concentrations of lens RTP, for the sums of RTP, RDP and AMP, and for lens L-lactate. Low ratios of L-lactate in the lens/L-lactate in the aqueous.