Effects of L-carnosine in preventing and treating rat cataract induced by sodium selenite
Laboratory studyOther animalsTopical
- Design
- Laboratory study
- Subjects
- 3 groups of 3 rats (as stated in abstract)
- Dose used in the study
- 50 g/L or 20 g/L eye drops; 1.00, 0.10 and 0.01 g/L in lens culture medium
- Duration
- 3 weeks of eye drops; cultured lenses 1 week
- What was measured
- Lens opacity scores in rats with sodium selenite-induced cataract given L-carnosine eye drops versus 0.9% saline, cataract scores and two-dimensional protein electrophoresis in cultured rat cataract lenses with L-carnosine.
What the authors reported
At one week the cataract scores were 2.22 (SD 0.65) with 50 g/L carnosine, 2.39 (SD 0.98) with 20 g/L and 2.83 (SD 0.38) with saline; only the 50 g/L group differed from control (P = 0.013). At weeks 2 and 3 there was no difference among the three groups, and in cultured lenses carnosine did not change cataract scores. Electrophoresis showed 182 proteins with carnosine versus 161 in controls, with less high molecular weight and more low molecular weight protein. The authors concluded 50 g/L carnosine restrained early-stage cataract.
Limits of this study
Very small groups; effect seen at one week only; rat selenite model; article in Chinese. Full text not read.
Source
Entry checked against PubMed abstract (E-utilities) on 2026-10-19. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.