Prevention of selenite-induced cataract using vitamin E in rats

The aim of this study was to evaluate the biochemical changes in optic lens in selenite- induced cataract and the preventive effect of vitamine E in Sprague-dawly rats. Three groups of rat were selected. Control group (10 rats) did not receive any injection, test group (16 rats) were received a single injection of sodium selenite (13 mg/kgBW) at day 10 post-partum and treatment group (15 rats) received vitamin E a rat pups were received selenite injection like test group and subcutaneous injection of vitamin E (60 mg/kg BW) in two days interval from day 8 postpartum up to end of study. Slit-lamp biomicroscopic examination was performed on each eye of each rat pup in the day 14 and 28 after selenite injection. Rats in each group were euthanized in at day 14 and 28 after selenite injection. Lenses of rats were removed and analyzed for protein content. In test group 95% of rats developed mature cataract and protein content of lens extract (3.9 mg/kg) was significantly lower than control group (4.5 mg/kg) (p>0.05). In treatment group 80% of ratsdeveloped cataract. Free and total SH content decreased significantly from 42 and 45 µmol/ ml lens extract in control group to 36.5 and 39.2 µmol/ ml lens extract in test group (p>0.05). Vitamin E restored this value to 37.2 and 40.6 µmol/ ml lens extract. The results obtained that vitamin E is effective in preventing selenite-induced catarct in animal model and indicated interference in sulfhydryl-disulfied exchange in cataract.