Steroid Induced Cataract

Mechanism: NCCLO

1.    Inhibition of the Na-K-ATPase pump mechanism, which increases the permeability of the lens to cation

2.    Conformational changes in specific amino groups of the lens crystallins, which lead to the development of disulfide bonds and protein aggregation.

3.    Decreased expression of cadherin (a family of cell–cell adhesion molecules that control the calcium-dependent cell adhesion of lens proteins that are necessary to prevent cataract formation)

4.    Binding of corticosteroids to lens proteins forming lysine-ketosteroid adducts that cause aggregation of lens crystallin proteins

5.    Corticosteroid-induced oxidative stress caused by accelerated gluconeogenesis, with reduced levels of glutathione sulphate attributed to the possible inhibition of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase.