Comparison of the Preventative Effects of Vitamins C and E in the Formation of Cataracts in Murine Lenses

Atcheson, Karla

Comparison of the Preventative Effects of Vitamins C and E in the Formation of Cataracts in Murine Lenses

Persistent URL

http://hdl.handle.net/10456/46098

Author(s)

Atcheson, Karla

Date Issued

May 1, 2018

Abstract

Age-related cataracts are the cause of nearly 50% of all cases of blindness worldwide and about half of all visual impairment cases in the USA. Research has shown that the consumption of antioxidants may help reduce the severity of the cataract formed in the lens. The aim of this study was to compare the preventative effects of vitamins C and E in the formation of cataracts in murine lenses. Whether vitamins C and E have a synergistic effect was also tested. Wild-type mice were given weekly vitamin injections for four weeks. At the end of the treatment period, mice were sacrificed, and both of their lenses were collected. The formation of a cataract was induced using H2O2, and the protein carbonyl concentration within the lens was analyzed. The vitamin C group had the lowest mean carbonyl concentration of all of the treatment groups (439 ± 155 nmol/mg), while the control group had the highest (933 ± 1117 nmol/mg). The cataracts tended to be less severe in those two groups than those from the vitamin E and the combination group which suggests that vitamin C may be a more effective antioxidant in the lens. This study provides insight into possible treatments can be prescribed to help protect the lens from the formation of a cataract.

Major

Biology

First Reader(s)

Donmoyer, Christine M.