Elemental profiles in Emory mouse lens.

Energy dispersive x-ray microprobe analysis was used to determine the distribution of chloride, potassium, phosphorus and sulfur in the epithelial cells of the lenses obtained from 3 to 7 month old Emory mice and 7 month old cataract resistant strain of Emory mice. Rapidly frozen lenses were fractured in the frozen state and lyophilized. The anterior epithelial cells were analyzed from equator to equator. The results show that the epithelial cells of the 7 month old Emory mouse lens have considerably higher amounts of chloride, sulfur, potassium and phosphorus. Presence of increased amount of potassium in the epithelial cells is intriguing. The data obtained from these experiments show that the changes in the elemental levels of epithelial cells are similar to observed alteration found in the lens fiber mass of 7 month old Emory mouse.