C-phycocyanin modulates selenite-induced cataractogenesis in rats.

The present investigation is aimed to evaluate the anticataractogenic potential of C-phycocyanin (C-PC), extracted and purified from Spirulina platensis. Enucleated rat lenses were maintained in vitro in Dulbecco's modified Eagle medium (DMEM). Group I contained DMEM, Group II and Group III contained 100 μM of sodium selenite, Group III was subdivided into three viz IIIa, IIIb, IIIc supplemented with 100, 150, 200 μg of C-PC respectively. In the in vivo study, on tenth day post partum: Group I rat pups received an intraperitoneal injection of saline, Group II, IIIa, IIIb, and IIIc rat pups received a subcutaneous injection of sodium selenite (19 μmol/kg bodyweight) Group IIIa, IIIb, IIIc also received an intraperitoneal injection of 100, 150, 200 mg/kg body weight of C-PC, respectively, from postpartum days 9-14. On termination of the experiment, the lenses from both in vitro and in vivo studies were subjected to morphological examination and subsequently processed to estimate the activities of antioxidant enzymes namely superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, levels of reduced glutathione and lipid peroxidation products. Sodium selenite-exposed, C-PC-treated rat lenses (Group IIIc), showed significant restoration of antioxidant enzyme activity (p < 0.05) when compared to their counterpart Group II. Group IIIc conserved the levels of GSH and lipid peroxidation products at near to normal levels as compared with Group II. Results conclude the possible role of C-PC in modulating the antioxidant enzyme status, thereby retarding sodium selenite-induced cataract incidence both in vitro and in vivo.