Objective: The study was designed to study the relationship between calcium-calmodulin (Ca-CaM) and cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) systems and their possible cataractogenic effects.
Methods: We measured cAMP, Ca and Ca-CaM in the epithelium of human normal and cataractous lenses by enzymic and radioimmunoassay methods.
Results: The levels of Ca-CaM in the epithelium of senile cataractous lens were higher, while of cAMP were lower than that in the normal lens.
Conclusion: The results imply that the low level of cAMP might cause the high level of calcium in the lens which is possibly a cataractogenic factor. The dangerous role of calcium is amplified by the elevation of Ca-CaM.