Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63110, USA.
Ophthalmic Res. 2010;44(3):155-65. doi: 10.1159/000316481. Epub 2010 Sep 9.
Cataracts are often considered to be an unavoidable consequence of aging. Oxidative damage is a major cause or consequence of cortical and nuclear cataracts, the most common types of age-related cataracts.
In this review, we consider the different risk factors, natural history and etiology of each of the 3 major types of age-related cataract, as well as the potential sources of oxidative injury to the lens and the mechanisms that protect against these insults. The evidence linking different oxidative stresses to the different types of cataracts is critically evaluated.
We conclude from this analysis that the evidence for a causal role of oxidation is strong for nuclear, but substantially lower for cortical and posterior subcapsular cataracts. The preponderance of evidence suggests that exposure to increased levels of molecular oxygen accelerates the age-related opacification of the lens nucleus, leading to nuclear cataract. Factors in the eye that maintain low oxygen partial pressure around the lens are, therefore, important in protecting the lens from nuclear cataract.
Maintaining or restoring the low oxygen partial pressure around that lens should decrease or prevent nuclear cataracts.
白内障通常被认为是衰老的必然结果。氧化损伤是皮质性和核性白内障（最常见的年龄相关性白内障类型）的主要病因或结果。
在这篇综述中，我们考虑了 3 种主要类型的年龄相关性白内障的不同危险因素、自然病程和病因，以及晶状体氧化损伤的潜在来源和对这些损伤的保护机制。我们批判性地评估了将不同的氧化应激与不同类型白内障联系起来的证据。
从这项分析中我们得出结论，氧化作用与核性白内障之间存在因果关系的证据确凿，但与皮质性和后囊下白内障之间的关系则弱得多。大量证据表明，暴露于较高水平的分子氧会加速晶状体核的年龄相关性混浊，导致核性白内障。因此，眼睛中的一些因素可以维持晶状体周围的低氧分压，这对于保护晶状体免受核性白内障的影响非常重要。
维持或恢复晶状体周围的低氧分压可以减少或预防核性白内障。
