The action of selenite on ATP synthesis in rat lens

A subcutaneous injection of sodium selenite (30 umol/kg body weight) in 10â day old rats produced a cataract within 72 hours. Lens opacification was preceded by a 15% decrease in ATP content. Lens ATP did not fully recover to control concentrations by 11 days post-injection. A moderate correlation existed between lens weight and total ATP content in control lenses <r=O.509, n=153), but this relationship disappeared with selenite treatment <r=0.023, n=153). There was a significant inhibition by selenite on lens growth from 4 through 11 days after an injection.