Immunohistochemical Localization of FGFs and FGF Receptor in the Developing Lenses on the UPL Rat with Early Onset Hereditary Cataract

Abstract

The UPL rat is a new hereditary cataract model. The immunohistochemical localization of basic fibroblast growth factors (bFGF), acidic fibroblast growth factors (aFGF) and one FGF receptor (FGF-R1) was investigated in lenses from fetal rats with the early onset (E-type) cataract and normal UPL rat fetuses (N-type). Both FGFs and FGF-R1 were detected in lens fibers from normal and E-type rat fetuses, however, there were differences in immunohistochemical localization of bFGF and FGF-R1 in lens epithelial cells between those from lenses with the E-type cataract and from normal lenses.