Oxidative stress and inherited cataracts in mice.

To determine whether an unbalanced redox state might accompany the development of particular inherited mouse cataracts, the lenticular content of oxidized glutathione (GSSG) and the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were chosen as markers. For wild-type lenses, an enhanced GSSG content could be observed in females as compared to males. Such a sex effect could not be detected for the SOD activity. In the mutants, GSSG content in cataractous lenses was found to be enhanced in 2 of 7 cases; the increases in other mutants were not significant. Changes of the SOD activity were even less consistent and only a random correlation of GSSG content and SOD activity with cataractogenesis could be deduced.