Near work induces myopia in Guinea pigs

Qian Fu; Yue Zhang; Linji Chen; Mengmeng Dong; Wenyu Tang; Si Chen; Jia Qu; Xiangtian Zhou; Zhina Zhi

doi:10.1016/j.exer.2022.109202

Near work induces myopia in Guinea pigs

Exp Eye Res. 2022 Nov:224:109202. doi: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.109202. Epub 2022 Aug 10.

Authors

Qian Fu¹, Yue Zhang², Linji Chen³, Mengmeng Dong⁴, Wenyu Tang⁵, Si Chen⁶, Jia Qu⁷, Xiangtian Zhou⁸, Zhina Zhi⁹

Affiliations

¹ School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China; State Key Laboratory of Optometry, Ophthalmology, and Vision Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China. Electronic address: 1575320875@qq.com.
² School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China; State Key Laboratory of Optometry, Ophthalmology, and Vision Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China. Electronic address: yuezhang0315@163.com.
³ School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China; State Key Laboratory of Optometry, Ophthalmology, and Vision Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China. Electronic address: 923976466@qq.com.
⁴ School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China; State Key Laboratory of Optometry, Ophthalmology, and Vision Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China. Electronic address: dongmmmmeng@163.com.
⁵ School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China; State Key Laboratory of Optometry, Ophthalmology, and Vision Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China. Electronic address: tangwenyu1478@126.com.
⁶ School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China; State Key Laboratory of Optometry, Ophthalmology, and Vision Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China. Electronic address: zjwzchensi@163.com.
⁷ School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China; State Key Laboratory of Optometry, Ophthalmology, and Vision Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China; Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325038, China; Research Unit of Myopia Basic Research and Clinical Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wenzhou, 325027, China. Electronic address: jqu@wz.zj.cn.
⁸ School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China; State Key Laboratory of Optometry, Ophthalmology, and Vision Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China; Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325038, China; Research Unit of Myopia Basic Research and Clinical Prevention and Control, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Wenzhou, 325027, China. Electronic address: zxt@mail.eye.ac.cn.
⁹ School of Optometry and Ophthalmology, and Eye Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China; State Key Laboratory of Optometry, Ophthalmology, and Vision Science, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325003, China. Electronic address: zjwzzhizhina@163.com.

PMID: 35961425
DOI: 10.1016/j.exer.2022.109202

Abstract

The association between near work activities and myopia has not been clearly established. This study establishes a model for near work myopia (NWM) induced by short viewing distance in guinea pigs with a carefully controlled visual environment, and evaluates the effect of viewing distance in myopia development. Pigmented guinea pigs (3 weeks old) were randomly assigned to 3 groups: near work (NW)-, form-deprivation (FD)-, and -4D hyperopic-defocus (HD)-induced myopia. Animals in NW groups were kept in cylindrical cages with vertical square-wave gratings, providing short- (S, d = 18 cm), middle- (M, d = 44 cm), and long- (L, d = 88 cm) mean viewing distances, all at the same illuminance, during daily treatment for 14 days. Biometric parameters, including refraction, anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), vitreous chamber depth (VCD), and axial length (AL), were measured at the beginning and end of 14 days' treatment. Choroidal thickness (ChT) and choroidal blood perfusion (ChBP) were measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and OCT-angiography (OCTA), respectively, at the end of treatment. Refraction was shifted towards myopia in the S-cage group, compared with the M- and L-cage groups; refractions in the L-, M- and S-cage groups were 5.19 ± 0.65 D, 4.30 ± 0.64 D, and 0.53 ± 0.61 D, respectively (p < 0.001). VCD and AL in the S-cage group increased in parallel with the myopic shift (L vs M vs S: VCD: 3.15 ± 0.02 mm vs 3.17 ± 0.02 mm vs 3.26 ± 0.02 mm, p < 0.001; AL: 7.99 ± 0.03 mm vs 8.03 ± 0.03 mm vs 8.15 ± 0.02 mm, p = 0.001). In FD and HD eyes, changes similar to those in the S-cage group (near-work group, NW) were seen in refraction (NW vs FD vs HD: 5.36 ± 0.82 D vs -5.78 ± 0.44 D vs -4.96 ± 0.54 D, p = 0.734), ACD, LT, VCD and AL. Also, ChT and ChBP were significantly less in the S-cage group than in the M- and L-cage groups after 14 days' treatment (L vs M vs S: ChT: 74.84 ± 3.27 vs 76.07 ± 3.49 vs 61.95 ± 3.31, P = 0.002; ChBP: 48.32 ± 2.23 vs 48.66 ± 2.30 vs 38.14 ± 2.06, p = 0.002). Rearing in S-cages induced myopia in guinea pigs and correspondingly decreased ChBP and ChT. The present study provides objective evidence that short viewing distance could be a risk factor for myopia, and describes a useful model for studying the underlying mechanisms.

Keywords: Choroidal thickness; Guinea pig; Myopia; Near work; Short viewing distance.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Choroid
Disease Models, Animal
Guinea Pigs
Hyperopia* / complications
Myopia* / etiology
Refraction, Ocular