Synergistic effect of UVB radiation and age on HMPS enzymes in rat lens homogenate

✍ Scribed by G. Bhanuprakash Reddy; K. Seetharam Bhat

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 519 KB
• Volume: 43
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1011-1344
• DOI: 10.1016/s1011-1344(98)00082-7

✦ Synopsis

The behaviour of rat lenticular enzymes, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD, EC: 1.1.1.49) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD, EC: 1.1.1.44) as a function of age and UVB irradiation (in vitro) was investigated by irradiating the lens homogenate from 3- and 12-month-old rats at 300 nm (100 microW cm-2). In the 3-month-old group the specific activities of G6PD and 6PGD were reduced by 26% and 42%, respectively, after 24 h of irradiation, whereas in the 12-month-old group the decrease was 38% and 49% respectively, which suggests that the susceptibility of HMPS enzymes to UVB damage is higher in older lenses. The decrease in specific activity was associated with a change in apparent K(m) and Vmax (marginal in 3 months and significant in 12 months) of these enzymes due to UVB irradiation. UVB irradiation also decreased the levels of NADPH and NADPH/NADP ratio. These changes, altered activities of G6PD and 6PGD and altered levels of NADPH, may in turn have a bearing on lens transparency.