Antioxidative role of ocular melanin pigment in the model of lens induced uveitis.

Ocular melanin pigment has antioxidant effect against excess of dispersed light. To investigate whether it has a similar effect in ocular inflammations, we used albino and pigmented guinea pigs and measured retinal glutathione peroxidase activities and lipid peroxide levels (expressed as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances) in a model of lens induced uveitis. Although the increase in the levels of the retinal lipid peroxides were higher in the albino group (204%, p < 0.05), the decrease in the activities of glutathione peroxidase were higher in pigmented guinea pigs (26%, p < 0.005). The results of the study suggest that pigmentless animals are more sensitive to the ocular inflammations, and ocular melanin pigment may act as an endojen antioxidant in lens induced uveitis.