Effect of hyperosmolar medium on the protein synthesis and morphology of epithelial cells of the cultured rabbit lens.

The effects of hyperosmolar medium on the lens epithelial cell protein synthesis and morphology were studied. It was found that the hyperosmolar medium inhibits protein synthesis, and the high molecular weight proteins were more susceptible to the osmolar shock than were the low molecular weight proteins. Fine structure analysis of the epithelial cells of the lenses incubated in hyperosmolar medium showed that the osmolar shock caused a reduction in the amount of rough endoplasmic reticulum and polysomes; some chromosome clumping was also evident. Whether the morphological changes observed were directly related to the decrease in the rate of protein synthesis is not clear.