Changes in lens following 60Co irradiation

Chinchilla rabbit lenses were irradiated using a 60Co gamma source, and the changes in the transport activities, native weight, water content and dry weight were observed. The heads of rabbits were irradiated with doses of 10 and 20 Gy and functional changes occurring in the lenses were studied till the twenty-fourth week after the irradiation. The weight of the rabbit lens irradiated with a dose of 20 Gy significantly increased after the twelfth week and was maximal 16 weeks after irradiation when also cataracts were observed. The increased weight of lenses was caused by accumulation of water. The decrease in the dry weight of lenses preceded the period of visible cataracts. A decreased uptake of rubidium occurring during in vitro cultivation of lenses was the most sensitive marker for the changes caused by 20 Gy irradiation. It was significantly decreased as early as 8 weeks after irradiation, preceding the increased hydration of lenses by 4 weeks and the presence of visible cataracts by as much as 8 weeks