Figure 3. Effect of curcumin on αA- and αB-crystallin and heat shock protein 70 gene expression in the eye lens of Wistar rat pups exposed
to selenium. Lane I, mRNA expression in lens from rat pups treated with saline alone (group I); lane II, mRNA expression in
lens from rat pups administered with selenium alone (group II); lane III, mRNA expression in lens from rat pups administered
with selenium and curcumin simultaneously (group III); lane IV, mRNA expression in lens from rat pups administered with selenium
first and then treated with curcumin after 24 h (group IV); and lane V, mRNA expression in lens from rat pups pretreated with
curcumin 24 h before selenium administration. Selenium-mediated oxidative stress causes an increase in the expression of αA-
and αB-crystallin and Hsp 70 gene, which probably underlies the pathogenesis of cataractogenesis induced by selenium. All
these changes were prevented by curcumin pretreatment, indicating its protective effect.