How to prepare animal model of naphthalene cataract?

  [Modeling mechanism] Naphthalene can increase the reactive oxygen species in rabbit cells, increase the generation of free radicals, and increase the peroxidation damage, resulting in damage to the lipid of the lens cell membrane and causing experimental cataracts.

  [Modeling method] Choose 2~2.5kg, 3~4 month old rabbits, use Tween-80 or paraffin to prepare 30% naphthalene (analytical purity) suspension, and gavage 2.65ml/kg daily. The control group was given an equal volume of normal saline. From the second day after the start of the gavage, atropine dilated pupils, and a slit lamp was used to track the changes of the lens every day until the lens turbidity reached the required level. If Sprague-Dawley pure white rats are selected, they are fed with standard feed, and the initial dose of naphthalene is 0.5 mg/kg, which is changed to 1 mg/kg after 3 days. Usually visible cataract formation after 6 weeks.

  [Characteristics of the model] Generally, gavage is performed for 8 days. Some lens cortex has a large range and darker plaque turbidity, which can be observed with the naked eye. Under light microscope, the cortical fibers were obviously broken, swollen, extensively liquefied, and protein degeneration bodies were seen; the epithelial tissue under the anterior capsule of the lens was slightly hyperplasia. For different species and different eye pigmentation states, naphthalene-induced cataract models are quite different in performance and progress. In the rat model, the lens damage is mainly due to the action of catechol reductase, so the performance of the rat model is weak; while in the rabbit model of the lens damage, polyphenol oxidase plays an important role, so its clinical performance is better. Strong. The same rats, with more eye pigmentation such as Brown Norway rats, the lens changes are stable, rapid, and severe, while in the Albino Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats, the lens changes are more inconsistent, delayed, and weak .

  [Model evaluation and application] The method of naphthalene gavage in rabbits and rats can successfully establish cataract models. The model is induced quickly and the modeling time is short. The rat naphthalene cataract model is an ideal animal model for studying the pathogenesis of human age-related cataracts and cataract oxidative damage; both are related to oxidative stress in the formation mechanism of cataracts, and there are also morphological aspects of cataracts. A certain similarity. However, the high concentration of naphthalene is more toxic. The low survival rate of experimental animals is not conducive to long-term observation.