The Possible Protective Effect of Curcumin on Naphthalene Induced Cataract in Rats (Histological and Scanning Electron Microscopic Study).

Introduction: Cataract formation is one of the irreversible processes for which modern medical science has no definite cure except surgery. Drugs that may have prophylactic or curative effects for cataract are lacking. Naphthalene has wide industrial and commercial applications and it is well known that ingestion of naphthalene causes cataract in human and experimental animals. Curcumin, a widely used spice, has been proved to have an antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo. Aim of the Work: The purpose of this study was to test the possible efficacy of curcumin in preventing cataract formation in a rat model. So, forty adult male albino rats weighting 100-120 gm were used in this study. They were divided into the experimental groups. Group I: Control animals. Group II: Animals received a dose of 0.7 g/kg of naphthalene solution orally daily for 90 days. Group III: Animals concomitantly administered curcumin with naphthalene in a dose of 75 mg/ kg orally daily for the same duration. Slit lamp examination and retroillumination photography were done to all animals at the end of the experiment, then the rats were sacrificed and the lenses were removed and processed for histological and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) examination. Results: Animals received naphthalene showed, by slit lamp photography, equatorial vacuoles and anterior subcapsular white opacities. Histologically, lens capsule was thin with hyperplasia of the lens epithelium. PAS stained deposits were also seen under the capsule with increased spacing between the lens fibers. Furthermore, the hexagonal cross sectional structure of lens fibers was lost in some areas. SEM showed loss of ball and socket interlocking between the lens fibers. Conclusion: Concomitant administration of curcumin with naphthalene resulted in amelioration of most of the histological changes induced by naphthalene. Therefore, curcumin may have a beneficial effect in protection against cataractogenesis.