Previous communications have reported on certain biochemical changes that occur in the lenses of young rats (aged 28-32 days) maintained on a cataractogenic galactose diet.1-3 The accumulation of galactose-1-phosphate in these lenses apparently acts as or gives rise to an inhibitor of the enzyme glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-P-D) during the first few days that these animals are maintained on a high galactose diet.1 The hexose monophosphate shunt is concurrently impaired as evidenced by a marked fall in the C1/C6 ratio of C14O2 recovered from these lenses incubated with glucose labeled in the number 1 or number 6 carbon atom.2 The concentration of high energy phosphate (ATP) in these lenses also decreases after the animals have been maintained on the diet for 3 days.
In order to further elucidate some of these changes that occur within the lens under the cataractogenic influence of