The goals were to define the clinical and morphological characteristics of cataract formation in the OXYS strain of rats which are genetically susceptible to oxidative stress. The predominately inherited feature is the high cellular level of glucose uptake. The OXYS strain displays pathological changes in many tissues including blood vessels, liver and lung, which are consistent with increased oxidative damage. Early cataract formation is a prominent feature of this strain.
Rats were examined periodically from birth through the development of mature cataracts with slit lamp biomicroscopy. The morphology of selected stages of cataract development was studied using light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) as well as immunohistochemical localization of lipid oxidation and DNA oxidation products. Lenses from normal rats of the same age were used as controls. OXYS rats developed cataracts as young as two weeks of age with progression to maturity by one year. Clinically, cataracts appeared initially as either nuclear or subcapsular cortical changes and developed into pronounced nuclear cataracts within months.