Neutral and acidic glycosphingolipids in glucocorticoid-induced cataract in chick lens

Administration of glucocorticoids induces transient cataract in 15-day-old chick embryos within 48 hr, and the opaque lens again becomes dear within t he subsequent 48 hr. Oxidative stress is likely to be involved in the proce ss of cataract formation, resulting in the appearance of numerous vacuoles around the perinuclear region, Chick lens contained low amounts of glycosph ingolipids, which mainly consists of GM3, GD3, sialyl-Lewis(X) gangliosides and glucosylceramide. Most lens gangliosides were immuno histochemically d etected in lens epithelia, annular pads and developing fibers, but not in p erinuclear and nuclear regions. Since cell surface gangliosides, for exampl e GM3 and sialyl-Lewis(X) gangliosides, are involved in eel adhesion, weak cell-to-cell interactions in the perinuclear and nuclear regions may allow vacuole formation in steroid-induced cataractogenesis. (C) 1999 Academic Pr ess.