Lipid composition and (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity in rat lens during triparanol-induced cataract formation.

The development of triparanol cataracts in rats is accompanied by the loss of lens (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity and by alteration in the lens content and composition of phospholipids, sterols and phospholipid acyl groups. The lipid changes occur along the same time course as the loss of (NA+ + K+)-ATPase activity. Triparanol feeding produces a decrease in lens phospholipid content.

Mass spectrometric identification of C20 fatty acids in bovine lens using the pyrrolidide derivative.

Unsaturated C20 fatty acids from bovine lens have been examined via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of their pyrrolidide derivatives. The presence of arachidonic acid and 5,8,11-20:3 in bovine lens has been confirmed by this study. In addition, the 10-, 11-, 12-, and 13-isomers of 20:1 and the 7,13-, 18,14-, and 12,15-isomers of 20:2 were identified.

Micro-determinations of alpha-tocopherol in tissue lipids.

It has been shown that the determination of small amounts of tocopheral in tissue lipids by methods that use, in sequence, saponification, extraction, TLC and colorimetric assay, is greatly influenced by the concentration of soap in the saponification mixture. Soaps appear to interfere with the recovery of tocopherols during the subsequent extraction step. Based on this knowledge a method is described that was used to measure as little as 15 to 20 ng of tocopherol in 3 to 4 mg of lipid obtained from rat retinas.