ACUTE EFFECT OF ETHANOL ON LENS CATION HOMEOSTASIS

This study examined the effect of ethanol on the calcium homeostasis o f the bovine lens. After acute exposure of the whole lens to physiolog ically related ethanol concentration, the calcium content of the lens cortex increased from 0.345 +/- 0.075 to 0.476 +/- 0.047 mu mol/g (p < 0.05). In contrast, other cation levels such as sodium, potassium, an d magnesium did not change. In the study of the lens calcium transport , ethanol caused an increase in the calcium permeability of the lens l ipid membrane by about 12% at 30 mM ethanol. Ethanol did not alter the calcium pump activity at ethanol concentration up to 400 mM. Above 60 0 mM ethanol, the calcium pump was almost completely inhibited. It has been suggested that moderate to heavy alcohol consumption is a risk f actor for cataracts. This study indicates that acute ethanol exposure can cause a loss in the lens calcium homeostasis, which maybe one of t he cellular mechanisms to contribute to the cataract development in th e alcoholic individual. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Inc.