Reduced, oxidized, and protein-bound glutathione concentrations in normal and cataractous lenses in the dog.

Amounts of reduced, oxidized, and protein-bound glutathione (GSH) were measured in normal and cataractous lenses of pups and adult dogs. Lenses from pups included normal lenses from clinically normal pups, clear lenses from Beagle pups bred for glaucoma, and congenital cataractous lenses from Miniature Schnauzer pups. Lenses from adults included normal lenses from normal mixed-breed dogs, congenital cataractous lenses from Miniature Schnauzers, and complete mature cataractous lenses from clinical patients of different breeds. Glutathione in the normal lenses from pups and adult dogs is predominantly reduced GSH; oxidized GSH is about 2.1% to 2.6% of the reduced GSH values. The reduced GSH values are lower in normal pups [7.08 mumoles/g (wet wt) of lens] than in adults [7.83 mumoles/g (wet wt) of lens]; reduced GSH values decrease further in cataract formation. The decrease in oxidized GSH values parallel those of reduced GSH, except in the advanced cataracts of clinical patients in which oxidized GSH [0.045 mumoles/g (wet wt) of lens] was 9% of the GSH values. The GSH bound to soluble and insoluble lens proteins of congenital cataractous Miniature Schnauzer pups was significantly (P less than 0.01 and P less than 0.02, respectively) lower per gram of protein than that in pups with normal lenses. However, the soluble and insoluble protein-bound GSH of congenital cataractous lenses of adult Miniature Schnauzers and lenses in clinical patients with mature cataracts [based on mumole of GSH/g (wet wt) of lens] were not significantly different (P greater than 0.05) from that in adult dogs with normal lenses.