Basic data supporting the use of the l-lysine salt of bendazac in cataract.

Bendazac, as such or in the form of its l-lysine salt, has a protective effect against lens protein denaturation both in vitro and in vivo. In vitro this effect has been documented on the lens proteins of rats, rabbits and pigs by using nephelometry, electrophoresis and electron microscopy. In vivo the protective effect has been observed after treatments ranging in duration from 3 to 14 days depending on the dosage used; the minimal effective dose produced a serum level of 35 micrograms/ml of bendazac. The penetration of the drug into the lens has been shown by both radioassay and HPLC; the lens concentration of bendazac increases with the duration of treatment. The mechanism of the protective action of bendazac against lens protein denaturation is discussed together with the implications of such protective action in the treatment of cataract.