We found that amizol (amitrol, 3-amino-1H-1,2,4-triazole) is a potent cataractogenic agent. Cataract is produced in a group of young Dutch rabbits which daily consumed 0.2% amizol in drinking water and in a group of young littermate rabbits of the same strain fed on a special diet containing 0.2% amizol. Clinical picture of amizol cataract has been fully described. The decrease in catalase activity of lens capsule-epithelium is highest as compared to that of the corneal epithelium, liver, kidney, and blood in amizol-fed rabbits. Induction of cataract with a simultaneous fall in lens catalase by amizol in vivo indicates that this enzyme may have a significant role in metabolism of the lens. Since amizol is widelyused as a herbicide and cotton defoliant, its cataractogenic effect may be of public healthinterest.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.