ULTRASTRUCTURAL LENS CHANGES IN X‐RAY INDUCED CATARACT OF THE RAT

Abstract

The effect of in vivo X-irradiation on the ultrastructure of the rat lens was investigated by EM. The left eye of each animal was exposed to a single dose of 1500 R of X-rays, while the other parts of the body were protected by a lead shield. The protected eye served as a control. Samples of the lenses were taken for EM examination at intervals of 3, 7, 30, 60, 90 and 180 days after the irradiation. The 1st ultrastructural changes induced by X-rays were found after 3 days in the epithelial cells which became vacuolated. After 7 days these cells showed marked edema and after 6 mo. the whole epithelium was shrunken. The most prominent changes in the lens fibers were swelling and vacuolization. No alterations were noted in the lens capsule. The 1st visible opacities of the lens were found 90 days after irradiation under the posterior capsule and 3 mo. later the entire lens was totally opaque.