Morphological basis of ocular desympathetization as a new method for experimental cataract modeling

: The aim of this study was to obtain the morphological basis for ocular desympathetization as a method for cataract modeling in vivo. The study was conducted on 20 outbred rabbits, in which the bilateral removal of superior cervical ganglia of sympathetic trunk resulted in the change of tone of the sympathetic division of the nervous system. 5-7 months after this operation, biomicroscopy of the anterior portion of both eyes was performed that has demonstrated in 16 out of 20 rabbits the initial manifestations of lenticular opacity. 12-14 months after the operation, their area was significantly increased, and the formation of wedge-shaped opacity with its basis facing the lens periphery, was documented. This was associated with the dissociation of lens fibers, as well as the extracellular liquid accumulation. Histological and phenotypic changes of the lens were similar to those in age-related cortical cataract, detected in man. In both age-related cataract, and that one received by a proposed modeling method, the immunopositive reaction was found demonstrating neuron-specific enolase, vimentin and S-100 protein in lenticular cortex. The proposed method of cataract modeling in vivo may be used for the study of cataract pathogenesis and for the development of measures of its prophylaxis and therapy.