Taurine prevents galactose-induced cataracts.

Intact lenses from New Zealand white rabbits were incubated in tissue culture media containing either 5 mM glucose or 5 mM glucose plus 30 mM galactose. The standard media did not contain taurine. Lenses were also cultured in a third medium containing 30 mM galactose plus 0.2 mM taurine. The frequency of cataract formation was evaluated as a function of the culture media. One lens (1/10), in media containing 5 mM glucose, developed a lenticular opacification during a 72-h incubation. Lenses (12/15) incubated in 30 mM galactose, without taurine, developed cataracts; fewer lenses (2/13) exposed to 30 mM galactose plus 0.2 mM taurine developed cataracts (p < 0.005). Galactose cataracts have been associated with lens edema attributed to the osmotic stress of tissue polyol (galactitol) accumulation. The water content of the noncataractous and cataractous lenses in this experiment did not differ. Lens edema, therefore, was not thought to be important in cataract pathogenesis. Taurine, an organic osmolyte was lower (5.1 +/- 1.5 mumol/g protein) in cataractous lenses than in control lenses (10.0 +/- 1.0 mumol/g protein). Malondialdehyde, an indicator of lipid peroxidation, was higher (36.6 +/- 5.0 mumol/g protein) in lens-containing opacifications than in noncataractous lenses (10.1 +/- 1.9 mumol/gm protein) (p < 0.01). The levels of malondialdehyde suggest that lipid peroxidation was increased in the process of sugar cataractogenesis. The malondialdehyde content of all the lenses correlated inversely (r = -0.53, p < 0.01) with the coincident lens taurine levels. Taurine appears to protect the lens against the development of sugar cataracts; its inverse relationship with lens malondialdehyde suggests this is an antioxidant effect.