Formation of congenital cataract in the offspring of galactosemic rats]

It has been established that lenses of offspring of galactosemic rats form sugar cataracts. In the present study, in order to clarify the critical period in pregnancy for the cataract formation, lenses of offspring of pregnant rats which were fed galactose diets at each of three terms of pregnancy, were examined histologically and biochemically. Severe cataract and a large amount of galactitol in the lenses were found in the offspring of rats fed a galactose diet in the last term of pregnancy. Moreover, focal cataract was found in the offspring of rats fed a galactose diet in the middle term. These results indicate that the critical period in pregnancy for cataract formation of the offspring is the last term of pregnancy and that cataract formation begins in the middle term in offspring of galactosemic rats.