Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

Re: Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

Gareth C. — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:35:27 GMT

[quote user="Hannah Chilton"] "and people think this can be treated medically?!"[/quote]

there has been a recent article on topical tx of diabetic cataracts with aldose reductase inhibitors (obviously this will be different from the 13yo dog at the start of this thread). However the photos in the article were slightly underwhelming

Topical KINOSTAT™ ameliorates the clinical development and progression of cataracts in dogs with diabetes mellitus

Peter F. Kador^1,2,
Terah R. Webb³,
Dineli Bras³,
Kerry Ketring⁴,
Milton Wyman^1,3,5

Article first published online: 10 NOV 2010

DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-5224.2010.00826.x

Issue

Veterinary Ophthalmology

Volume 13, Issue 6, pages 363–368, November 2010

Re: Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

Vikki Halliday LLB — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 22:06:53 GMT

So snake oil then.....?

I haven't ever used them, but none of the other ophtho dudes I have come into contact with have recommended them.

But then we all use to boil willow bark too. Open mindedness is the key.

Re: Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

Louise6732 — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:53:21 GMT

Have been meaning to post on here again!

Very interesting chat with Dr Williams, he has some data which is due to be published in the future, not sure when.

General concensus was that the drops are safe to use, but don't seem to make any difference on advanced cataracts. There wasn't much difference between the owners' perceptions of the drops vs placebo.
So overall, not really worth the money!

Louise

Re: Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

Zita Okarina — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:00:15 GMT

Hey, share with us .

What did you get from Dr. Williams? What medicine did he advice?

Zita

Re: Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

HMC — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 17:12:12 GMT

[quote user="Mark Norcott"]I recall speaking to a DVOphthal about these and he said trying to treat a cataract like this was akin to 'trying to unfry a fried egg'! It's not going to happen.[/quote]

I remember in a lecture at vet school being shown a histological section of a lens with cataracts and the comment was along the lines of "and people think this can be treated medically?!"

Re: Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

Mark Norcott — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 15:43:51 GMT

I recall speaking to a DVOphthal about these and he said trying to treat a cataract like this was akin to 'trying to unfry a fried egg'! It's not going to happen.

Re: Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

Anonymous — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 09:10:16 GMT

would agree, have been told this on numerous occasions by ophthalmologists. not worth using.

I think sometimes they suggest that the decrease in opacity is the natural effect of some cataracts liquifying as they age and not related to the drops.

Re: Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

Ian Mostyn — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 22:30:31 GMT

Pip Boydell thinks they are snake oil and not worth the money when I asked him a couple of weeks ago.

Ian

Re: Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

Louise6732 — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 21:42:52 GMT

Thanks to everyone for your advice. I spoke to Dr Williams yesterday, he is extremely helpful and always keen to discuss cases! Fab!

Louise

Re: Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

Rob Davis — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:39:05 GMT

[quote user="Emma Middleton"]

The effect of topical antioxidant formulation including N-acetyl carnosine on canine cataract: a preliminary study

David L. Williams, Patricia Munday

[/quote]

David Williams is very approachable (and loves to talk about eyes!), so it may be worth contacting him (http://davidlwilliams.org.uk/)

Re: Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

Emma Middleton — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 14:31:52 GMT

Just found this on Web of Science. Not very scientific (no placebo or blinding were used), but seems that there was a perceived improvement in dogs with immature cataracts.

The effect of topical antioxidant formulation including N-acetyl carnosine on canine cataract: a preliminary study

David L. Williams, Patricia Munday

Veterinary Ophthalmology

Volume 9, Issue 5, pages 311–316, September 2006

Abstract

Objective To determine the efficacy of a topical antioxidant formulation including N-acetyl carnosine in the treatment of canine cataract in a preliminary nonplacebo, controlled, unmasked study.

Animals studied Thirty dogs of varying breeds and ages with a spectrum of lens opacities ranging from nuclear sclerosis to total mature cataract.

Methods Dogs were treated three times daily with topical 2% N-acetyl carnosine in a buffered vehicle containing the antioxidants glutathione, cysteine ascorbate, l-taurine and riboflavin (Ocluvet™, Practivet, Phoenix, AZ, USA). Dogs were examined prior to treatment and at 2, 4 and 8 weeks during treatment, by direct and indirect ophthalmoscopy and slit-lamp biomicroscopy after pharmacologic pupil dilation. Photographic documentation of lens opacity was achieved by retroillumination photography, with three photographs taken at each examination time-point. A lens opacification index (LOI), determined by integration of the grayscale level of each pixel across the image, was evaluated by computerized image analysis of digitized images. Alteration in mean LOI was determined for each animal, having normalized the initial LOI.

Results Fifty-eight eyes of 30 dogs were evaluated, 22 with mature cataract, 13 with immature cataract, 9 with cataract associated with other intraocular disease such as uveitis and 14 with nuclear sclerosis alone. One dog was unilaterally anophthalmic after previous enucleation and one had a phthytic eye after previous uveitis-induced glaucoma. Image analysis showed a reduction in mean LOI in all cataract groups (mean resolution in opacity of 2.3 ± 0.33% for all cataracts), although this was only statistically significant in those eyes with immature cataract (mean resolution of opacity 4.5 ± 0.33%) or nuclear sclerosis (mean decrease in opacity 5 ± 0.37%). Reduction in lens opacity was seen in eyes with mature cataract (0.5 ± 0.4%) and in miscellaneous cataract associated with intraocular inflammation (1.3 ± 0.4%), but these changes were not statistically significant. Owner evaluation of visual capability, however, suggested improvement in vision in 80% of cases by the end of the study.

Conclusion This study demonstrates some marginal reduction in lens opacification in a substantial number of cases of canine cataract with the use of a topical nutritional antioxidant formulation including N-acetyl carnosine. Lens opacification was improved with treatment in eyes with immature cataract or nuclear sclerosis while in eyes with mature cataract or cataract with associated intraocular inflammatory pathology less reduction was seen.

Re: Cataract drops 'N-acetylcarnosine'

Michael Woodhouse — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 13:22:44 GMT

There's a bit on Wikipedia!

Try and let us know how you get on!

Easily available online