Fatty acid cytotoxicity to human lens epithelial cells

Lipids and the ocular lens

“…Lens cells actively transport albumin from the apical to the basolateral compartment in a process that involves caveolae and clathrin-coated vesicles (167)(168)(169). Micromolar concentrations of unsaturated fatty acids are cytotoxic to cultured bovine and human lens cells (170)(171)(172)(173)(174)(175). The aqueous humor of elderly patients who had cataracts contained micromolar levels of fatty acids and raises the possible involvement of these fatty acids in cataract formation.…”

Fatty Acid Cytotoxicity to Organ-Cultured Bovine Lenses

“…Exposure to 25 mol/l linoleic or arachidonic acid causes cell retraction, increasing granulation, bleb formation, pycnotic nuclei, and eventually cell detachment ( fi g. 1 b, c), quite similar to what has been described as characteristic morphological signs of fatty acid cytotoxicity with subcultured bovine and human lens epithelial cells [1][2][3][4] . Blebs are the result of lipid accumulation [3] and may appear like brilliant droplets in the cytoplasm ( fi g. 1 c) [4] . One or 5 mol/l linoleic acid, examined up to 96 and 72 h, respectively, were without effects.…”

“…The remarkable sensitivity of cultured lens epithelial cells to micromolar concentrations of unsaturated free fatty acids gave rise to speculate that fatty acid cytotoxicity might be involved in lens changes in vivo [1][2][3][4] . The results presented in this study reveal that the lens capsule does not protect lens cells from fatty acid toxicity.…”

“…Micromolar concentrations of linoleic acid and other cis -confi gured unsaturated free fatty acids have been shown to be cytotoxic to cultured bovine and human lens cells [1][2][3][4] . In vivo free fatty acids are transported by albumin.…”

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diseases known to be associated with cataracts [4] . In contrast to experiments with cultured epithelial cells, in vivo cataractogenic risk factors have to pass the lens capsule.

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