An experimental study on damage of retina function due to toxicity of carbon disulfide and lipid peroxidation.

PURPOSE: To study the relation between the changes in the electroretinogram and the lipid peroxidation of the retina during the period of retinal damage due to carbon disulfide (CS2).

METHODS

To examine the amplitude and latency of a, b waves of the electroretinogram (ERG) and to assay the activities of total superoxide dismutases (TSOD), (EC no. 1.15.1.1), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) (EC no.1.11.1.9) and malondialdehyed (MDA) in the retina of animals with experimental CS2 toxic retinopathy.

RESULTS

The b wave amplitude (161+/-51 microv) of the animals exposed to CS2 for 3 weeks was significantly lower than that of the controls (310+/-93 microv) (p<0.05). TSOD (30+/-5 Nu/mg)in the retinal tissues exposed was lower than that (38+/-8 Nu/mg) (p<0.05) in the controls and MDA (7+/-2 nmol/mg) in the exposed was higher than that (4+/-1 nmol/mg) (p<0.05) in the controls at a concentration of CS2 1000 mg/m3. Analyzed with the correlation coefficient, there was a significant positive correlation between the amplitude changes of ERG b wave and TSOD (p<0.001) and a remarkable negative correlation between the amplitude changes of ERG b wave and MDA (p<0.05) in the animals' exposed retinal tissues.

CONCLUSION

The present studies indicated that the damaged function of early CS2 toxic retinopathy was possibly associated with lipid peroxidation.