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THE EFFECT OF X‐IRRADIATION ON THE SODIUM‐POTASSIUM‐ACTIVATED ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATASE (Na‐K‐ATPase) ACTIVITY IN THE EPITHELIUM OF THE RAT LENS A Histochemical and Biochemical Study
Author(s) -
PALVA MARKKU
Publication year - 1978
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1978.tb05696.x
Subject(s) - adenosine triphosphatase , potassium , atpase , triphosphatase , sodium , chemistry , epithelium , irradiation , enzyme , biochemistry , medicine , pathology , physics , organic chemistry , nuclear physics
The epithelial Na‐K‐ATPase activity of the rat lens was studied after X‐irradiation at intervals of three to ninety days. The enzyme was demonstrated histochemically by light microscopy and it was measured biochemically by a fluorometric method. Neither histochemical nor biochemical changes of Na‐K‐ATPase content of the lens epithelium were observed during the development of cataract. In whole‐mount preparations the enzyme activity was localized in the cell membranes. However, one month after radiation a few peripheral cells had in addition a precipitate over the whole cell. The unaltered Na‐K‐ATPase content in the epithelium suggests that the hydration of the lens after X‐irradiation is primarily caused by changes in the passive permeability properties of the cell membranes and not by a decreased capacity of the active cation pump.