FIGURE 5.

αA-Crystallin peptides inhibit cataracts in rats. Sodium selenite was administered to 12-day-old rat pups to induce cataracts, as described under “Experimental Procedures.” When single injections were used, native and acetyl αA-crystallin peptides were intraperitoneally injected at 2.5, 5, and 10 μg/animal 6 h prior to sodium selenite injection. When multiple injections were used, the peptides at the above doses were injected 6 h prior to and on days 1, 2, 3, and 4 days following sodium selenite injection. On day 6-post sodium selenite injection (when the pups were 18 days old and had opened their eyes), cataract formation was assessed via slit-lamp (left panels) and direct imaging (right panels). The control rats exhibited no cataracts (top left), whereas the sodium selenite-injected rats had mature cataracts (top right). The peptides inhibited cataract development; the acetyl peptide (single 5 and 10 μg injections and multiple 2.5 μg injections) was better than the native peptide at inhibiting cataract development. When multiple 10-μg injections were administered, both peptides prevented cataract development. For each treatment group, n = 3. The data shown are from one representative animal/group. αA, αA-native peptide; αA(a), αA-acetyl peptide.