POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC-HYDROCARBONS IN CLEAR AND CATARACTOUS HUMAN LENSES

In this histochemical study on the ocular lens, the authors test for t he presence of various sorts of the (unsaturated) polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) in 66, both clear and cataractous human lenses. A st atistically significant greater amount of PAH is found in the cataract ous lenses studied (p < 0.01), with two kind of PAH, phenanthrene and 1,2-benzoanthracene, appearing exclusively in lenses with cataracts. T he authors put forward a hypothesis on the cataractogenic effect of PA H on the basis of its interference with lens metabolism and the subseq uent production and release of free-radicals.