Abstract
PURPOSE: Ultraviolet B (UVB) has been well documented to induce capsular cataracts; however, the mechanism of the lens epithelial cell-mediated repair process after UVB irradiation is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to better understand lens epithelial cell repair after UVB-induced epithelium damage. METHOD. C57BL/6J mice were irradiated by various doses of UVB. Lens morphology and lens capsule opacity were monitored by slit lamp, darkfield microscopy, and phase-contrast microscopy. Lens epithelial cell mitotic activation and cell apoptosis were measured by immunohistochemistry. Lens epithelial ultrastructure was analyzed by transmission electron microscopy. RESULTS. UVB irradiation above a dose of 2.87 kJ/m2 triggered lens epithelial cell apoptosis and subcapsular cataract formation, with a ring-shaped structure composed of multilayered epithelial cell clusters manifesting a dense ring-shaped capsular cataract. The epithelial cells immediately outside the edge of the ring-shaped aggregates transitioned to mitotically active cells and performed wound healing through the epithelialization process. However, repairs ceased when lens epithelial cells made direct contact, and scar-like tissue in the center of the anterior capsule remained even by 6 months after UVB irradiation. CONCLUSIONS. Our present study demonstrates that normally quiescent lens epithelial cells can be reactivated for epithelialization repair in response to UV-induced damage.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 29 |
Journal | Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science |
Volume | 62 |
Issue number | 15 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Dec 2021 |
Keywords
- Epithelialization
- Lens epithelium
- Lens opacity
- UVB
- Ultraviolet light