Oxidative stress to rat lens in vitro: protection by taurine.

The concentration of taurine is high in the lens. However, its function therein remains unknown. Studies from other tissues suggest that in addition to several other modes of action, it acts as an antioxidant. We therefore hypothesize that taurine may be a part of the antioxidant defense mechanisms involved in protecting the lens against oxidative stress and consequent cataract formation. In these studies, the protective effect of taurine was examined using lens culture system with menadione as an oxidant. Inclusion of this compound in the incubation medium was found to have several adverse effects on the lens, such as a decrease in its ability to accumulate rubidium against a concentration gradient and fall in the levels of glutathione, ATP and an increase in water insoluble proteins. All these deleterious effects were attenuated significantly by addition of physiological amounts of taurine to the menadione-containing medium.