Objective: To study the effects of different dose microwave radiation on protein components of cultured rabbit lens, and analyze the mechanisms of lens injury caused by microwave radiation.
Methods: Cultured rabbit lens were exposed to microwave radiation with frequency of 2450 MHz and power density of 0.25, 0.50, 1.00, 2.00, 5.00 mW/cm(2) for 8 hours in vitro. The transparency of lens was observed. Changes of protein concentration were detected after different lens protein components were extracted, including water-soluble protein (WSP), urea soluble protein (USP), alkali soluble protein (ASP) and sonicated protein (SP). The influence of microwave radiation on WSP was analyzed using SDS-PAGE electrophoresis and coomassie-blue staining.
Results: Transparency of lens decreased after radiation. There was obvious opacification of lens cortex after 5.00 mW/cm(2) microwave radiation for 8 hours. After 1.00, 2.00 and 5.00 mW/cm(2) radiation, the percentage of WSP decreased while USP increased obviously. There was no change of ASP. The percentage of SP decreased when the power of microwave was 5.00 mW/cm(2). The low molecular weight protein of WSP decreased while high molecular weight protein increased after microwave radiation.
Conclusion: Microwave radiation higher than 1.00 mW/cm(2) can affect the proportion of WSP and USP in cultured rabbit lens, and cause changes of lens transparency and refractive power, which leads to lens opacity.