Acute Lens Opacification Of Mice Induced By Anesthesia

Objective:To explore the influencing factors and possible mechanism of acute opacification in mouse lens induced by anesthetic.Methods:The C57/BL6mice were anesthetized with intraperitoneal injections of10%chloral hydrate (400mg/kg) and then exposed to4℃,15℃,23℃, and37℃. Lens opacification was examined with a slit lamp at10min,20min,30min,45min,60min respectively after mydriasis. When the environmental temperature was controled in23±1℃,the mice were anesthetized with intraperitoneal injections of10%chloral hydrate (400mg/kg),2%sodium pentobarbital (40mg/kg) and25%urethane (1000mg/kg) respectively, lens opacification was examined with a slit lamp at10min,20min,30min,45min,60min respectively under mydriasis with the tropicamide eye drops. The lens was examined with the slit lamp24h after the first injection, and the mice was given the second anesthesia with the same dose of anesthetics intraperitoneal injections, lens opacification was also examined with a slit lamp at10min,20min,30min,45min,60min respectively. Then mice were executed by cervical dislocation at60minutes after anesthesia. HE staining was observed in lens, AQP1and Calpain-2immunofluorescence were detected in lens epithelial cells.Results:1. All mice showed lens opacification at10min after anesthesia exposure to4℃;8mice showed lens opacification at10min and all mice showed lens opacification at60min after anesthesia exposure to15℃;one mouse showed lens opacification at10min and8mice showed lens opacification at60min after anesthesia exposure to23℃;the lens began to appear opacification at20min and then5mice showed lens opacification at60min after anesthesia exposure to37℃.2. Both urethane and chloral hydrate anesthesia group had a longer duration of anesthesia, the lens opacification was ahead of time and aggravated with obvious ocular proptosis and corneal drying; the pentobarbital anesthesia group had no obvious ocular proptosis while had only mild lens opacification.3. The lens anterior capsules were thickened and the epithelial cells were proliferated, with enhanced expression of Calpain-2and decreased expression of AQPl in lens epithelial cell after anesthesia.Conclusion:Anesthetic may induce sudden lens opacification of mice which is closely related to the upregulation of the expression of Calpain-2activity and the downregulation of the expression of AQP1activity. Both the temperature and the choice of anesthetic are important factors of this lens acute opacification.