Effects of UV on apoptotic factors in lens epithelial cells of an animal model

Effect of ultraviolet (UV) on the apoptotic factors p53, Bax and Bcl-2 in lens epithelial cells (LECs) was explored. Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into control group (n=12) and model group (n=48). Rats in model group were used to construct UV radiation eyeball models. Twelve rats in model group and 3 rats in control group were sacrificed at day 1, 3, 5 and 7, and the expression of p53, Bax and Bcl-2 in LECs was detected by RT-qPCR. There was no significant difference in p53 expression between model and control group on day 1 (P>0.05), while expression level of p53 was significantly higher in model than in control group at day 3, 5 and 7 (P<0.05), and the highest expression level was found on day 7 (P<0.05). Relative expression level of Bax in model group was significantly higher than that in control group (P<0.05), and the highest expression level was found on day 7 (P<0.05). On day 1, expression level of Bcl-2 in model group was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.05), but it began to rise on day 3 but did not differ significantly from the control group (P>0.05), and was significantly higher in model than in control group on day 5 and 7 (P<0.05), and the highest expression level was observed on day 7 (P<0.05). Linear correlation analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between p53, Bax and Bcl-2 expression and UV exposure time in LEC (r=0.82, 0.90, 0.95, P<0.05). Expression levels of p53, Bax, and Bcl-2 in LEC of rats are positively correlated with the time after UV irradiation, suggesting that UV could induce apoptosis of LEC by promoting p53, Bax and Bcl-2 expression.