March 2014 Vol. 2 No. 2

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Full Length Research Paper

Morphological and Biochemical Study of Cataractous Nucleus in Diabetics versus Non-diabetics
 

Mahgoub Saleem* and Areej E. Khalil MD
 

Associate Professor, Faculty of Medicine, Al Neelain University Khartoum 11111, P. O. Box 10139, Sudan

*Corresponding Author's E-mail: saleem4eyes@gmail.com

Accepted March 24, 2014

Abstract

The number of people with diabetes mellitus is increasing in developing countries and cataracts is the most common causes of blindness in these subjects. Whereas mechanisms related to glucose toxicity contribute significantly to the development of the eye complications under conditions of diabetes, which accumulate sorbitol that leads to osmotic changes resulting in cataract formation. The objective of this investigational study is to determine the relevance of the human lens induction elements in early cataract formation in Sudanese diabetics compared them to non-diabetics at morphological and biochemical level. Sixty cataractous lenses of 60 patients were collected from the operation rooms immediately after Extracapsular cataract extraction sugary with intraocular lens (EECCE+IOL). The colours of the specimens observed and coded. Measurements; including diameter and thickness of the lenses were done under the surgical microscope. The collected lenses were put in small containers with potassium fluoride, phosphate buffer solution with formalin and kept at 4°C. Biochemical studies were done using the enzymatic determination method. Four colour were detected; light yellow, dark yellow, light brown and dark brown. The light yellow colour found in 16.7% of diabetics and 10.0% of non-diabetics at 50 and 60 years of age. The dark yellow colour (16.7%) and the light brown (46.7%) were equal in both diabetics and non diabetics, in patients at 70 and 80 years of age. The dark brown colour was more in non-diabetics (26.7%) than diabetics (20.0%) at 80-90 at 80and 90 years of age. There were slight differences in the diameter and thickness between diabetics and non-diabetics; 8.02-7.97mm diameter and 4.2-4.4mm thickness. There were some differences of lenticular glucose and protein concentrations between the diabetic and non-diabetics (21.2-12.30mg/dl glucose`s) and (1.77g/l-1.56g/l protein`s) respectively. There was a positive correlation between size, colour and age of the catractous lens. Poorly controlled blood sugar in diabetics accelerates the premature lens opacification, so improved diabetic control may reduce the risk of developing lens opacities especially in young.

Keywords: Extracapsular cataract extraction, phosphate buffer solution, glucose, protein, sorbitol