Figure 2

Age dependent changes in cell density, volume, and aspect ratio for the mouse lens. (A) C57/BL6J lenses, postnatal weeks 4 (left panel) and 6 (right panel). LEC nuclei density distribution presented as a heat map reconstruction in a five color blue to red scale. At 4 weeks postnatal, cell density is uniform across the epithelium. By 6 weeks, the density gradient from CZ to GZ has developed, though relative high density is retained in the central epithelium zone, possibly to accommodate further lens growth. (B) Murine lenses, postnatal weeks 16 (left panel) and 46 (right panel). LEC nuclei density distribution presented as in (A). The density gradient has matured by 16 weeks post-natal. (C) Murine lens volume and lens aspect ratio (Rmin/Rmax) from 4 to 46 weeks. An initial rapid growth phase during the first 2 months of life is followed by a relative plateau when mice reach maturity. Lens shape on the transverse plane undergoes a spheroid to lentoid transition between postnatal weeks 4 and 6. This lentoid shape is maintained throughout life, with the transverse plane aspect ratio decreasing from 0.9 to 0.7 between postnatal weeks 4 and 6. As hemisphere volume is negatively correlated with aspect ratio, the lens minor axis increases at a greater rate than the major axis. One-way ANOVA with p = 0.0225 for *, standard error bars, n = 16 (4 per age group). Post hoc analysis with Tukey HSD showed a significant decrease in aspect ratio between 4 week lenses and all other age groups (MD = 0.2563 for 6 weeks, MD = 0.2364 for 16 weeks, and MD = 0.2534 for 46 weeks).