Kynurenine-Derived UV Filters and Other Cytoprotective Metabolites in the Eye Lenses of Rodents From the Squirrel Family (Sciuridae)

Kynurenine-Derived UV Filters and Other Cytoprotective Metabolites in the Eye Lenses of Rodents From the Squirrel Family (Sciuridae) Научная публикация

Журнал

Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science
ISSN: 1552-5783

Вых. Данные

Год: 2025, Том: 66, Номер: 15, Номер статьи : 28, Страниц : 14 DOI: 10.1167/iovs.66.15.28

Ключевые слова

lens, rodents, UV filters, antioxidants, osmolytes

Авторы

Osik Nataliya A. ¹ , Yanshole Vadim V. ¹ , Sharshov Kirill A. ² , Kiryutin Alexey S. ¹ , Sagdeev Renad Z. ¹ , Tsentalovich Yuri P. ¹

Организации

1	Laboratory of Proteomics and Metabolomics, International Tomography Center SB RAS, Novosibirsk, Russia
2	Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Biodiversity of Viruses, Federal Research Center of Fundamental and Translational Medicine, Novosibirsk, Russia

Metabolites play a crucial role in the protection of the eye lens from damage caused by UV radiation, with molecular UV filters absorbing UV light, antioxidants preventing oxidative stress, and osmolytes regulating cellular pressure. This study is aimed at identifying cytoprotective metabolites in rodent eye lenses including full set of UV filters in squirrel lenses. A quantitative metabolomic analysis of the lenses from seven rodent species of the Sciuridae (squirrel) and Cricetidae (hamster) families was performed using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). A total of 68 metabolites were measured, and cytoprotective metabolites of rodent lenses were revealed. Animal lifestyle was found to be a major factor determining the set of cytoprotective metabolites in the lens. Squirrels are diurnal animals, and their lenses contain high levels of kynurenine derivatives acting as UV filters, myo-inositol as an osmolyte, and glutathione and ascorbic acid as antioxidants. This makes the squirrel lenses similar to human lenses and suggests that squirrels can be considered as good models for studying human ophthalmic diseases. We detected and identified 16 UVA-absorbing compounds in squirrel lenses, with N-acetyl-3-hydroxykynurenine being the most abundant UV filter. In contrast, hamster lenses have no UV filters at all, and their major osmolytes and antioxidants are taurine and glutathione, respectively. Our results shed light on the cytoprotective mechanisms of mammalian eye tissues and generate interest in the squirrel eye as a model for studying human ocular diseases.

Osik N.A. , Yanshole V.V. , Sharshov K.A. , Kiryutin A.S. , Sagdeev R.Z. , Tsentalovich Y.P.
Kynurenine-Derived UV Filters and Other Cytoprotective Metabolites in the Eye Lenses of Rodents From the Squirrel Family (Sciuridae)
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2025. V.66. N15. 28 :1-14. DOI: 10.1167/iovs.66.15.28 OpenAlex

Поступила в редакцию:	22 авг. 2025 г.
Принята к публикации:	10 нояб. 2025 г.
Опубликована online:	9 дек. 2025 г.

OpenAlex:

W7111112267

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