Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T09:17:48.142Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A possible role for vitamin C in age-related cataract

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 October 2011

Jolieke C. van der Pols
Jolieke C. van der Pols*
Affiliation:
Medical Research Council Human Nutrition Research, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 IXJ, UK
*
Corresponding author: Miss J. C. van der Pols, fax +44 (0)1223 426617, email jolieke.vanderpols@mrc-hnr.cam.ac.uk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

While many experimental studies have shown a protective effect of vitamin C in age-related cataract, other studies have revealed contrasting roles for this nutrient. Oxidative damage in the lens can be prevented by vitamin C. However, a pro-oxidant effect of vitamin C through H2O2 generation has been suggested. Vitamin C has also been shown to play a role in protein glycation, which is observed in cataract formation. A protective effect of dietary energy restriction appears to be inversely related to plasma vitamin C levels in rodents. Moreover, conclusions from human epidemiological and intervention studies are not uniform. The available evidence suggests that maintenance of sufficient plasma vitamin C is needed to prevent oxidative damage in the lens. More research will be needed in order to confirm the relative importance of the different roles of vitamin C in the eye lens.

Keywords

Vitamin CCataractAntioxidantsOld age
Type
Postgraduate Symposium
Information
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society , Volume 58 , Issue 2 , May 1999 , pp. 295 - 301
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1999

References

Avunduk, AM, Yardimci, S, Avunduk, MC, Kurnaz, L & Kockar, MC (1997) Determinations of some trace and heavy metals in rat lenses after tobacco smoke exposure and their relationships to lens injury. Experimental Eye Research 65, 417–423.Google Scholar
Bates, CJ, Chen, S, Macdonald, A & Holden, R (1996) Quantitation of vitamin E and a carotenoid pigment in cataractous human lenses and the effect of a dietary supplement. International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research 66, 3 16–321.Google Scholar
Bates, CJ & Cowen, TD (1988) Effects of age and dietary vitamin C on the contents of ascorbic acid and acid-soluble thiol in lens and aqueous humour of guinea-pigs. Experimental Eye Research 46, 937–945.Google Scholar
Blondin, J, Baragi, VJ, Schwartz, E, Sadowski, J & Taylor, A (1986) Delay of UV-induced eye lens protein damage in guinea pigs by dietary ascorbate. Free Radical Biology and Medicine 2, 275–281.Google Scholar
Brown, NP & Bron, AJ (1996) Biology of the Lens. A Clinical Manual of Cataract Diagnosis. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd.Google Scholar
Cekic, O (1998) Effect of cigarette smoking on copper, lead, and cadmium accumulation in human lens. British Journal of Ophthalmology 82, 186–188.Google Scholar
Chandra, DB, Varma, R, Ahmad, S & Varma, SD (1985) Vitamin C in the human aqueous humor and cataracts. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research 56, 165–168.Google Scholar
Christen, WG, Manson, JE, Seddon, JM, Glynn, RJ, Buring, JE, Rosner, B & Hennekens, CH (1992) A prospective study of cigarette smoking and risk of cataract in men. Journal of the American Medical Association 268, 989–993.Google Scholar
Chylack, LT, Schalch, W, Kopcke, W, Phelps-Brown, N, Hurst, M, Mitchell, S, Thien, U & Bron, AJ (1998) Roche European-American Cataract Trial: Efficacy of an oral antioxidant micronutrient mixture to slow progression of age-related cataract (ARC). Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 39, S304 Abstr.Google Scholar
Dargent-Molina, P, Favier, F, Grandjean, H, Baudoin, C, Scott, A, Hausherr, E, Meunier, P & Breart, G (1996) Fall-related factors and risk of hip fracture: the EPIDOS prospective study. Lancet 348, 145–149.Google Scholar
Devamanoharan, PS, Henein, M, Monis, S, Ramachandran, S, Richards, RD & Varma, SD (1991) Prevention of selenite cataract by vitamin C. Experimental Eye Research 52, 563–568.Google Scholar
Evans, JR, Rauf, A, Sayer, AA, Wormald, RPL & Cooper, C (1998) Age-related nuclear lens opacities are associated with reduced growth before 1 year of age. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 39, 1740–1744.Google Scholar
Forrester, J, Dick, A, McMenamin, P & Lee, W (1996) The Eye. Basic Science in Practice. London: W.B. Saunders Company Ltd.Google Scholar
Garland, D (1990) Role specific metal-catalyzed oxidation in lens aging and cataract: a hypothesis. Experimental Eye Research 50, 677–682.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gong, X, Shang, F, Obin, M, Palmer, H, Scofano, MM, Jahngen, JJ, Smith, DE & Taylor, A (1997) Antioxidant enzyme activities in lens, liver and kidney of calorie restricted Emory mice. Mechanisms of Ageing 99, 181–192.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gutteridge, JM & Halliwell, B (1994) Antioxidants in Nutrition, Health and Disease. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Halliwell, B & Gutteridge, JMC (1989) Free Radicals in Biology and Medicine, 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Hankinson, SE, Stampfer, MJ, Seddon, JM, Colditz, GA, Rosner, B, Speizer, FE & Willett, WC (1992a) Nutrient intake and cataract extraction in women: a prospective study. British Medical Journal 305, 335–339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hankinson, S, Willett, WC, Colditz, GA, Seddon, JM, Rosner, B, Speizer, FE & Stampfer, MJ (1992b) A prospective study of cigarette smoking and risk of cataract surgery in women. Journal of the American Medical Association 268, 994–998.Google ScholarPubMed
Harding, J (1991) Cataract, Biochemistry, Epidemiology and Pharmacology. London: Chapman & Hall.Google Scholar
Hiller, R, Giacometti, L & Yuen, K (1977) Sunlight and cataract: an epidemiologic investigation. American Journal of Epidemiology 105, 450–459.Google Scholar
Hollows, F & Moran, D (1981) Cataract-the ultraviolet risk factor. Lancet ii, 1249–1250.Google Scholar
Jacques, PF, Hartz, SC, Chylack, LT, McGandy, RB & Sadowski, JA (1988) Nutritional status in persons with and without senile cataract: blood vitamin and mineral levels. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 48, 152–158.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jacques, PF, Taylor, A, Hankinson, SE, Willett, WC, Mahnken, B, Lee, Y, Vaid, K & Lahav, M (1997) Long-term vitamin C supplement use and prevalence of early age-related lens opacities. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 66, 911–916.Google Scholar
Johnson, GJ (1998) Limitations of epidemiology in understanding pathogenesis of cataracts. Lancet 351, 925–926.Google Scholar
Koplan, JP, Annest, JL, Layde, PM & Rubin, GL (1986) Nutrient intake and supplementation in the United States (NHANES II). American Journal of Public Health 76, 287–289.Google Scholar
Knekt, P, Heliovaara, M, Rissanen, A, Aromaa, A & Aaran, R-K (1992) Serum antioxidant vitamins and risk of cataract. British Medical Journal 305, 1392–1394.Google Scholar
Lee, K-W, Mossine, V & Ortwerth, BJ (1998) The relative ability of glucose and ascorbate to glycate and cross-link lens proteins in vitro. Experimental Eye Research 67, 95–104.Google Scholar
Lee, PP, Spitzer, K & Hays, RD (1997) The impact of blurred vision on functioning and well-being. Ophthalmology 104, 390–396.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Leske, MC, Chylack, LT, He, Q, Wu, S-Y, Schoenfield, E, Friend, J & Wolfe, J (1998) Anti-oxidant vitamins and nuclear opacities. Ophthalmology 105, 831–836.Google Scholar
Leske, MC, Chylack, LT, Wu, S-Y & The Lens Opacities Case-Control Study Group (1991) The lens opacities case-control study. Archives of Ophthalmology 109, 244–251.Google Scholar
Leske, MC, Wu, S-Y, Hyman, L, Sperduto, R, Underwood, B, Chylack, LT, Milton, RC, Srivastava, S, Ansari, N & The Lens Opacities Case-Control Study Group (1995) Biochemical factors in the lens opacities case-control study. Archives of Ophthalmology 113, 1113–1119.Google Scholar
Li, Y, Yan, Q, Pendergrass, WR & Wolf, NS (1998) Response of lens epithelial cells to hydrogen peroxide stress and the protective effect of caloric restriction. Experimental Eye Research 239, 254–263.Google Scholar
Liddater, HA, Dzialoszynski, T, McLeod, HL, Sanford, SE & Trevithick, JR (1990) Modelling cortical cataractogenesis XI. Vitamin C reduces γ-crystallin leakage from lenses in diabetic rats. Experimental Eye Research 51, 241–247.Google Scholar
Mares-Perlman, JA, Brady, WE, Klein, BEK, Klein, R, Haus, GJ, Palta, M, Ritter, LL & Shoff, SM (1995) Diet and nuclear lens opacities. American Journal of Epidemiology 141, 322–334.Google Scholar
Mares->Perlman, JA, Klein, BEK, Klein, R & Ritter, LL (1994) Relation between lens opacities and vitamin and mineral supplement use. Ophthalmology 101, 315–325.Google Scholar
Mohan, M, Sperduto, RD, Angra, SK, Milton, RC, Mathur, RL, Underwood, BA & Jaffery, N (1989) India-US case-control study of age-related cataracts. Archives of Ophthalmology 107, 670–676.Google Scholar
Mura, CV, Roh, S, Smith, D, Palmer, V, Padhye, N & Taylor, A (1993) Cataract incidence and analysis of lens crystallins in the water-, urea- and SDS-soluble fractions of Emory mice fed a diet restricted by 40 %; in calories. Current Eye Research 12, 1081–1091.Google Scholar
Ohta, Y, Okada, H, Majima, Y & Ishiguro, I (1996) Anticataract action of vitamin E: its estimation using an in vitro steroid cataract model. Ophthalmic Research 28, Suppl. 2, 16–25.Google Scholar
Ortwerth, BJ, Feather, MS & Olesen, PR (1988) The precipitation and cross-linking of lens crystallins by ascorbic acid. Experimental Eye Research 47, 155–168.Google Scholar
Reddy, VN, Giblin, FJ, Lin, L-R & Chakrapani, B (1998) The effect of aqueous humor ascorbate on ultraviolet-B-induced DNA damage in lens epithelium. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 39, 344–350.Google ScholarPubMed
Robertson, JM, Donner, AP & Trevithick, JR (1991) A possible role for vitamins C and E in cataract prevention. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 53, 346S–351S.Google Scholar
Rouhiainen, P, Rouhiainen, H & Salonen, JT (1996) Associations between low plasma vitamin E concentration and progression of early cortical lens opacities. American Journal of Epidemiology 144, 496–500.Google Scholar
Sanderson, J, McLauchlan, WR & Williamson, G (1996) Can carotenoids reduce oxidation-induced cataract? Biochemical Society Transactions 24, 385S.Google ScholarPubMed
Sarma, U, Brunner, E, Evans, J & Wormald, R (1994) Nutrition and the epidemiology of cataract and age-related maculopathy. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition 48, 1–8.Google Scholar
Saxena, P, Saxena, AK & Monnier, VM (1996) High galactose levels in vitro and in vivo impair ascorbate regeneration and increase ascorbate-mediated glycation in cultured rat lens. Experimental Eye Research 63, 535–545.Google Scholar
Schoenfield, ER, Leske, MC & Wu, S-Y (1993) Recent epidemiologic studies on nutrition and cataract in India, Italy and the United States. Journal of the American College of Nutrition 12, 521–526.Google Scholar
Seddon, JM, Christen, WG, Manson, JE, LaMotte, FS, Glynn, RJ, Buring, JE & Hennekens, CH (1994) The use of vitamin supplements and the risk of cataract among male physicians. American Journal of Public Health 84, 788–792.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sliney, D (1986) Physical factors in cataractogenesis: Ambient ultraviolet radiation and temperature. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 27, 781–790.Google Scholar
Spector, A (1995) Oxidative stress-induced cataract: mechanism of action. FASEB Journal 9, 1173–1182.Google Scholar
Spector, A, Ma, W & Wang, R-R (1998) The aqueous humor is capable of generating and degrading H2O2. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 39, 1188–1197.Google Scholar
Spector, A, Wang, G-M, Gamer, WH & Moll, H (1993) The prevention of cataract by oxidative stress in cultured rat lenses. I. H2O2 and photochemically induced cataract. Current Eye Research 12, 163–179.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sperduto, RD, Hu, T-S, Milton, RC, Zhao, J-L, Everett, DF, Cheng, Q-F, Blot, WJ, Bing, L & Taylor, PR (1993) The Linxian cataract studies. Archives of Ophthalmology 111, 1246–1253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tavani, A, Negri, E & La Vecchia, C (1996) Food and nutrient intake and risk of cataract. Annals of Epidemiology 6, 41–46.Google ScholarPubMed
Taylor, A, Jacques, PF, Nowell, T, Perrone, G, Blumberg, J, Handelman, G, Jozwiak, B & Nadler, D (1997) Vitamin C in human and guinea pig aqueous, lens and plasma in relation to intake. Current Eye Research 16, 857–864.Google Scholar
Taylor, A, Jahngen-Hodge, JJ, Smith, DE, Palmer, VJ, Dallal, GE, Lipman, RD, Padhye, N & Frei, B (1995a) Dietary restriction delays cataract and reduces ascorbate levels in Emory mice. Experimental Eye Research 61, 55–62.Google Scholar
Taylor, A, Lipman, RD, Jahngen-Hodge, JJ, Palmer, V, Smith, D, Padhye, N, Dallal, GE, Cyr, DE, Laxman, E & Shepard, D (1995b) Dietary calorie restriction in the Emory mouse: effects on lifespan, eye lens cataract prevalence and progression, levels of ascorbate, glutathione, glucose, and glycohemoglobin, tail collagen breaktime, DNA and RNA oxidation, skin integrity, fecundity and cancer. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 79, 33–57.Google Scholar
Teikari, JM, Rautalahti, M, Haukka, J, Jarvinen, P, Hartman, AM, Virtamo, J, Albanes, D & Heinonen, O (1998) Incidence of cataract operations in Finnish male smokers unaffected by alpha tocopherol or beta carotene supplements. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 52, 468–472.Google Scholar
Tessier, F, Moreaux, V, Birlouez-Aragon, I, Junes, P & Mondon, H (1998) Decrease in vitamin C concentration in human lenses during cataract progression. International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research 68, 309–315.Google Scholar
Thylefors, B, Negrel, A-D, Pararajasegaram, R & Dadzie, KY (1995) Global data on blindness. Bulletin of the World Health Organization 73, 115–121.Google Scholar
Varma, SD (1991) Scientific basis for medical therapy of cataracts by antioxidants. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 53, 335S–345S.Google Scholar
Varma, SD, Chand, D, Sharma, YR, Kuck, JF & Richards, RD (1984) Oxidative stress on lens and cataract formation: role of light and oxygen. Current Eye Research 3, 35–57.Google Scholar
Varma, SD, Kumar, S & Richards, RD (1979) Light-induced damage to ocular lens cation pump: prevention by vitamin C. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 76 3504–3506.Google Scholar
Vitale, S, West, S, Hallfrisch, J, Alston, C, Wang, F, Moorman, C, Muller, D, Singh, V & Taylor, HR (1993) Plasma antioxidants and risk of cortical and nuclear cataract. Epidemiology 4, 195–203.Google Scholar
Weinruch, R, Walford, RL, Fligiel, S & Gutherie, D (1986) The retardation of aging in mice by dietary restriction: longevity, cancer, immunity and lifetime energy intake. Journal of Nutrition 116, 641–654.Google Scholar
West, S (1992) Does smoke get in your eyes? Journal of the American Medical Association 268, 1025–1026.Google Scholar
West, S, Munoz, B, Emmett, EA & Taylor, HR (1989) Cigarette smoking and risk of nuclear cataracts. Archives of Ophthalmology 107, 1166–1169.Google Scholar
Wynn, M & Wynn, A (1996) Can improved diet contribute to the prevention of cataract? Nutrition and Health 11, 87–104.Google Scholar
Yeum, KJ, Taylor, A, Tang, G & Russell, RM (1995) Measurements of carotenoids, retinoids and tocopherols in human lenses. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 36, 2756–2761.Google ScholarPubMed
Young, RW (1991) Age-related Cataract. New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar