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Glycation of crystalline in lenses from aging and diabetic individuals
Author(s) -
van Boekel M.A.M.,
Hoenders H.J.
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(92)81446-s
Subject(s) - glycation , crystallin , senile cataract , chemistry , diabetes mellitus , cataracts , medicine , fluorescence , tryptophan , endocrinology , biochemistry , ophthalmology , amino acid , physics , quantum mechanics
Water‐soluble crystallins were obtained from clear human lenses of different age(4–81‐year‐olds) and lenses of individuals showing senile and diabetic cataracts. Levels of early glycation products were high in the high molecular weight material (HM) and the α‐crystallin fractions, compared with β and γ‐crystallins. This difference becomes more prominent upon aging. The content of total early glycation products in HM and α‐crystallin increases clearly with age, whereas levels remain relatively constant in the β‐ and α‐crystallins. There is an elevation of early products in cataractous lenses from diabetic individuals compared with those suffering from senile cataract. Specific non‐tryptophan fluorescence (excitation/emission wavelengths 370/440 nm), used as an indicator for late glycation products, increased dramatically with age and was 2‐fold higher in the diabetic subjects. Levels of fluorescence decreased in the order HM > α‐ > b > γ‐crystallins. The results suggest an increase in glycation rate in α‐crystallin as a result of aging and diabetes, while the rate of glycation of β‐ and γ‐crystallins remains almost constant.