Serum lipid peroxide levels in rats with inherited cataracts.

In a new strain of rat with inherited cataracts, a postnatal increase in serum lipid peroxide level was observed. It reached the maximum on the 13th day after birth. This seems to be a reflection of the increased lipid peroxides in the liver. In accordance with the increase in serum lipid peroxide level, the occurrence of vacuoles in the subcapsular fibers of the posterior region of the lens was observed by electron microscopy, suggesting a relationship between the increase in serum lipid peroxides and the provocation of cataract formation.