ABSTRACT
Cataracts are a major cause of blindness in man with far reaching personal, social and economic consequences. The clarity of the lens is dependent upon the maintenance of the integrity of the fiber cell plasma membrane whose important component is cholesterol. In the present study, we have demonstrated that cataract formation influences the cholesterol and protein distribution within the lens.
Subject(s)
Aged , Aging , Cataract/etiology , Cholesterol/metabolism , Crystallins/metabolism , Humans , Lens, Crystalline/metabolism , Middle AgedABSTRACT
Plasma sodium, potassium, bicarbonate, calcium, magnesium, pseudocholinesterase, amylase and alkaline phosphatase were estimated in 43 cases of country-liquor poisoning and 29 normal controls. In the poisoned subjects, plasma potassium, magnesium and amylase levels were elevated, while plasma bicarbonate levels were diminished; and plasma pseudocholinesterase and alkaline phosphatase were not affected. Plasma calcium and pseudocholinesterase were elevated in poisoned patients who recovered; however, these were diminished in fatal cases. Plasma bicarbonate and amylase were affected depending upon the severity of poisoning.