The objective of the proposed work is to evaluate the role of oxidative stress in the development of human nuclear cataract, the most common type of lens opacity in older adults, and the type most likely to require surgery. The overall hypothesis of the proposal is that both molecular oxygen (O2) and UVA light can contribute to the formation of nuclear cataract.
Aim 1 will investigate possible links between liquefaction of the vitreous humor (a common event occurring in the aging human eye), an increase in the level of O2 in the vitreous humor and nuclear cataract.
This aim will employ enzyme-assisted liquefaction of vitreous humor in experimental animals, and the measurement of vitreal and lens 02 levels in vivo using a highly sensitive fiber optic device. Techniques will include slit-lamp biomicroscopy, laser scanning of lenses in vitro, a variety of biochemical analyses, SDS-PAGE, HPLC and electron microscopy to determine whether vitreous liquefaction can induce detrimental effects on the lens, leading to nuclear cataract. Two in vivo experimental animal models for nuclear cataract, hyperbaric O2 (HBO) and UVA light, will also be employed.
Aim 2 will investigate the mechanism of O2-induced disulfide-crosslinking of lens crystallins, a modification strongly associated with human nuclear cataract. The Pi's hypothesis is that protein S-glutathiolation (the binding of glutathione to a protein) of lens crystallins protects against disulfide-crosslinking and crystallin insolubilization in an HBO/guinea pig in vivo model. Mass spectrometry and 2-D gel electrophoresis will be used to identify specific sites of glutathiolation, as well as specific crystallins that have become water- insoluble.
The aim will be aided by the fact that sequences of all guinea pig lens crystallins are now available in the NEIBank on-line database.
Aim 3 will test the hypothesis that UVA light in combination with O2 and a toxic UVA chromophore (such as that which can accumulate in the human lens nucleus with age) will generate H2O2, and induce aggregation of lens crystallins in vitro.
This aim will employ guinea pig lens supernatants containing the endogenous UVA chromophore ^-crystallin with bound NADPH. Selected experiments will be conducted with other UVA chromophores including free NADPH, free kynurenine and a synthetic kynurenine peptide to mimic UVA chromophores present in the human lens.
The aim will also determine whether GSH, as well as recombinant a-crystallin, can protect against UVA-induced aggregation of lens crystallins. Relevance: The studies are designed to elucidate the mechanism of formation of maturity-onset nuclear cataract, which is the cause for a major proportion of the 1.5 million cataract surgeries conducted in the United States each year. The results will provide valuable information on protecting the aging human lens against oxygen- and UVA-induced damage, and on guarding against formation of nuclear cataract.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01EY002027-32
Application #
7585253
Study Section
Anterior Eye Disease Study Section (AED)
Program Officer
Araj, Houmam H
Project Start
1977-08-01
Project End
2012-02-29
Budget Start
2009-03-01
Budget End
2010-02-28
Support Year
32
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$386,087
Indirect Cost
Name
Oakland University
Department
Type
Organized Research Units
DUNS #
041808262
City
Rochester
State
MI
Country
United States
Zip Code
48309
Cencer, Caroline S; Chintala, Shravan K; Townsend, Tenira J et al. (2018) PARP-1/PAR Activity in Cultured Human Lens Epithelial Cells Exposed to Two Levels of UVB Light. Photochem Photobiol 94:126-138
Raju, Murugesan; Mooney, Brian P; Thakkar, Kavi M et al. (2015) Role of ?A-crystallin-derived ?A66-80 peptide in guinea pig lens crystallin aggregation and insolubilization. Exp Eye Res 132:151-60
Padgaonkar, Vanita A; Leverenz, Victor R; Bhat, Aparna V et al. (2015) Thioredoxin reductase activity may be more important than GSH level in protecting human lens epithelial cells against UVA light. Photochem Photobiol 91:387-96
Lyons, Brian; Karuso, Peter; Jamie, Joanne F et al. (2014) Characterisation of a novel UV filter in the lens of the thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Ictidomys tridecemlineatus). Exp Eye Res 121:114-20
Giblin, Frank J; David, Larry L; Wilmarth, Phillip A et al. (2013) Shotgun proteomic analysis of S-thiolation sites of guinea pig lens nuclear crystallins following oxidative stress in vivo. Mol Vis 19:267-80
Giblin, Frank J; Lin, Li-Ren; Simpanya, Mukoma F et al. (2012) A Class I UV-blocking (senofilcon A) soft contact lens prevents UVA-induced yellow fluorescence and NADH loss in the rabbit lens nucleus in vivo. Exp Eye Res 102:17-27
Goldenberg, David T; Giblin, Frank J; Cheng, Mei et al. (2011) Posterior vitreous detachment with microplasmin alters the retinal penetration of intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin) in rabbit eyes. Retina 31:393-400
Giblin, Frank J; Lin, Li-Ren; Leverenz, Victor R et al. (2011) A class I (Senofilcon A) soft contact lens prevents UVB-induced ocular effects, including cataract, in the rabbit in vivo. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 52:3667-75
Simpanya, Mukoma F; Leverenz, Victor R; Giblin, Frank J (2010) Expression and purification of his-tagged recombinant mouse zeta-crystallin. Protein Expr Purif 69:147-52
Giblin, F J; Quiram, P A; Leverenz, V R et al. (2009) Enzyme-induced posterior vitreous detachment in the rat produces increased lens nuclear pO2 levels. Exp Eye Res 88:286-92

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