Pharmacological inhibition of Kv3 on oxidative stress-induced cataract progression.

Oxidative stress is one of the most important risk factors for cataractogenesis. Previous studies have indicated that BDS-II, a Kv3 channel blocker, plays pivotal roles in oxidative stress-related diseases. This study demonstrates that BDS-II exerts a protective effect on cataractogenesis. Specifically, BDS-II was observed to inhibit lens opacity induced by HO. BDS-II was also determined to inhibit cataract progression in a sodium selenite-induced in vivo cataract model by inhibiting reduction of the total GSH. In addition, BDS-II was demonstrated to protect human lens epithelial cells against HO-induced cell death. Our results suggest that BDS-II is a potential pharmacological candidate in cataract therapy.