THE EFFECT OF VITAMIN C DEFICIENCY AND CHRONIC ULTRAVIOLETB EXPOSURE ON CORNEAL ULTRASTRUCTURE: A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION

HAYES S; CAFARO, T.; BOGUSLAWSKA PJ; KAMMA-LORGER CS; BOOTE C; HARRIS J; YOUNG R; HILLER J; TERRILL N; MEEK KM; SERRA HM

MOLECULAR VISION

Año: 2011 p. 3107 - 3107

URPOSE: In the visually debilitating condition of climatic droplet keratopathy, corneal transparency is progressively lost. Although the precise cause of the disease and the mechanism by which it progresses are not known, a lifetime exposure to high solar radiation and a vitamin C-deficient diet may be involved in its development. This study examines the effect of dietary ascorbate levels and ultraviolet (UV)-B exposure on corneal stromal structure. METHODS: Eight guinea pigs were divided into four treatment groups (A, B, C, and D). For 15 weeks, Groups A and C were fed an ascorbate-rich diet (2 mg/100 g bodyweight/day), while Groups B and D received an ascorbate-deficient diet (0.07 mg/100 g bodyweight/day). For the last 12 weeks of the study, Groups C and D also experienced chronic UVB exposure (0.12 J/cm² for 40 min/day). Following euthanasia, the corneas were enucleated and their stromal ultrastructure examined using X-ray scattering and electron microscopy. RESULT