【Disease Animal Model】-Naphthalene-induced Cataract Animal Model

  [Modeling mechanism] Naphthalene can increase the reactive oxygen species in rabbit cells, increase the production of free radicals, increase peroxide damage, damage the lipids in the lens cell membrane, and cause experimental cataracts.

  [Modeling method] Choose 2 to 2.5 kg, 3 to 4 months old rabbits, and use Tween-80 or paraffin at 2.65 ml/kg per day to prepare 30% naphthalene (pure analysis) suspension and inject it into the stomach. The group was given the same dose of normal saline. From the second day of the start of gavage, atropine is used to dilate the pupils, and a slit lamp is used to track changes in the lens every day until the lens turbidity reaches the desired level. When Sprague-Dawley pure white rats are selected, they will be provided with a standard diet. The initial infusion dose of naphthalene is 0.5 mg/kg, but it becomes 1 mg/kg after three days. Cataract formation is usually visible after 6 weeks.

  [Model Features] Generally, 8 days after oral administration, part of the lens cortex shows large and dark plaque-like opacity, and obvious opacity is visible to the naked eye. Under an optical microscope, the fibers in the cortex area were clearly broken, swollen, and extensively liquefied, and denatured proteins were observed. The epithelial tissue under the capsular bag is slightly hyperplasia. For different species and different eye pigmentation conditions, there are significant differences in performance and progress of naphthalene-induced cataract models. In the rat model, the performance of the rat model is weak, because the lens damage is mainly due to the action of catechol reductase, but in the lens damage of the rabbit model, its clinical manifestations are due to the important role of polyphenol oxidase. . Strong. In the same rat, the lens changes of hyperpigmented rats (such as Brownorway rats) are stable, rapid and severe, while in Sprague-Dawley and Wistar rats, the consistency of lens changes is poor.

  [Model Evaluation and Application] Oral administration of naphthalene in rabbits and rats successfully established cataract models. The model can be quickly guided and the modeling time is short. The rat naphthalene cataract model is an ideal animal model for studying the etiology of age-related cataracts and human oxidative damage. Both are related to oxidative stress in the formation of cataracts, and also have the morphological aspects of cataracts. Some similarities. However, high concentrations of naphthalene are more toxic. The survival rate of experimental animals is low and cannot be used for long-term observation.