Spatial distributions of glutathione and its endogenous conjugates in normal bovine lens and a model of lens aging.

ABSTRACT: Glutathione (GSH) is the archetypal antioxidant, and plays a central role in the protection of the ocular lens from cataract formation. High levels of GSH are maintained in the transparent lens, but with advancing age, GSH levels fall in the lens nucleus relative to outer cortical cells, thereby exposing the nucleus of the lens to the damaging effects of oxygen radicals, which ultimately leads to age-related nuclear (ARN) cataract. Under normal conditions, GSH also forms endogenous conjugates to detoxify the lens of reactive cellular metabolites and to maintain cell homeostasis. Due to the intrinsic gradient of lens fibre cell age, the lens contains distinct regions with different metabolic requirements for GSH. To investigate the impact of fibre cell and lens aging on the varied roles tha

SUBMITTER: Nye-Wood MG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5359059 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature