The effect of three topical agents on posterior subcapsular cataract progression in royal college of surgeon (r.c.s.) rats

Three substances are currently reported to possess cataract retardation properties: Scenecio Maritema, N-N dimethylglycine, and Conjunctivisan A. To test their potential in retarding cataract progression, Royal College of Surgeon (R.C.S.) rats were selected as the experimental model. This strain of rats develops posterior subcapsular cataracts secondarily to an inherited retinal degeneration. At birth, the rats were divided into four groups. The ten rats in each group received twice daily topical instillation of saline, Scenecio Maritema, N-N dimethylglycine, or Conjunctivisan A for eight weeks. Analysis of serial slit lamp evaluations showed a significant delay in cataract progression in the rats receiving any of the three agents compared to : the saline control. This suggests that there might be an alternative to surgery in cataract treatment