ABSTRACT.
The etiopathogenesis of cataract is multifactorial and remains fully understood to this day. In recent decades, researchers have paid increasing attention to the role of chemical elements as key regulators of the bio-chemical processes that maintain lens transparency.
The aim of the study is to investigate the macro- and trace element composition of the lens during cataract development.
Materials and Methods.
The experimental study was conducted on mature male rats divided into two groups: control and experimental. In the experimental group, a model of cataract was induced using ultraviolet radiation. Bio-microscopic examination of the eye was performed using a slit lamp at the second, fourth, and sixth months of the study. At the second and sixth months of the experiment, the crystalline lenses were harvested from the animals to analyze their elemental composition using atomic emission and mass spectrometry.
Results.
At the initial stages of cataract development, a statistically significant 69% increase in lens sodium levels was observed compared to the control group. Conversely, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus levels were statistically significantly lower by 22%, 26%, and 27%, respectively. Iron and manganese levels were statistically significantly lower by 17% and 57%, respectively, compared to the control. With the development of mature cataract, a accumulation of calcium was established, with its level many times exceeding the control values. Against this background, magnesium and phosphorus levels were statistically significantly lower than in the control group by 17% and 47%, respectively. Analysis of the microelement profile at the mature cataract stage revealed a statistically significant increase in iron (7-fold) and zinc (by 133%) content.
Conclusion.
The developed experimental model of ultraviolet-induced cataract closely replicates the natural impact of exogenous environmental factors and aging processes, allowing the extrapolation of the obtained data to the development mechanisms of age-related cataract in humans. As cataract progresses, an imbalance of macro- and mi-croelements is observed in the crystalline lenses. The initial stage of cataract development is characterized by increased sodium levels and decreased potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and manganese levels; the mature cataract stage is characterized by increased calcium, iron, and zinc levels against a background of decreased magnesium and phosphorus.
KEYWORDS: cataract, lens, mineral metabolism, macroelements, trace elements, mass spectrometry.
For citation: Chuprov A.D., Notova S.V., Marshinskaia O.V., Kazakova Т.V. Features of the elemental profile of the lens during cataractogenesis (an experimental study). Trace elemets in medicine. 2026;27(2):68-74. DOI: 10.19112/2413-6174-2026-27-2-68-74
Information about the authors:
Alexander D. Chuprov – Dr.Sc. (Med.), Professor, Director
E-mail: ophthchad@mail.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7011-4220
Svetlana V. Notova – Dr.Sc. (Med.), Professor, Professor of the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
E-mail: snotova@mail.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6378-4522; SPIN: 1985-0298
Olga V. Marshinskaia – Ph.D. (Biol.), Senior Research Scientist
E-mail: m.olja2013@yandex.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5611-5128; SPIN: 3285-6597
Tatiana V. Kazakova – Ph.D. (Biol.), Head of the Research and Education Department
E-mail: vaisvais13@mail.ru; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3717-4533; SPIN: 1283-1267
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no obvious and potential conflicts of interest related to the publication of this article.