BMP-2 Is Involved in Scleral Remodeling in Myopia Development

PLoS One. 2015 May 12;10(5):e0125219. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125219. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

The development of myopia is associated with scleral remodeling, but it is unclear which factors regulate this process. This study investigated bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) expression in the sclera of guinea pigs with lens-induced myopia (LIM) and after recovery from myopia and evaluated the effect of BMP-2 on extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis in human scleral fibroblasts (HSFs) cultured in vitro. Lens-induced myopia was brought about in two groups of guinea pigs (the lens-induced myopia and myopia recovery groups) by placing -4.00 D lenses on the right eye for three weeks. The left eye served as a contralateral control. In the recovery group, the lenses were removed after one week. The refractive power and axial length of the eyes were measured, and the BMP-2 expression levels in the sclera were measured. After three weeks, the lens-induced eyes acquired relative myopia in both groups of guinea pigs. Immunostaining of the eyeballs revealed significantly decreased BMP-2 expression in the posterior sclera of the myopic eyes compared to the contralateral eyes. One week after lens removal, BMP-2 expression recovered, and no differences were observed between the experimental and contralateral eyes in the recovery group. HSFs were cultured with BMP-2 or transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Type I and type III collagen synthesis was significantly up-regulated following BMP-2 treatment in culture after one and two weeks, but the ratio of type III to type I collagen mRNA was not increased. Biosynthesis of glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and aggrecan was increased in HSFs treated with BMP-2. Some chondrogenesis-associated genes expression increased in HSFs treated with BMP-2. From this study, we concluded that BMP-2 is involved in scleral remodeling in the development and recovery of lens-induced myopia.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Animals
  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 / metabolism*
  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 / pharmacology
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Contact Lenses / adverse effects*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Extracellular Matrix / metabolism
  • Fibroblasts / drug effects
  • Guinea Pigs
  • Humans
  • Myopia / etiology
  • Myopia / metabolism*
  • Myopia / pathology*
  • Recovery of Function
  • Sclera / metabolism
  • Sclera / pathology*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2

Grants and funding

The authors' research was supported by grant 30572005 from the National Natural Science Foundation in China and the Province Science Foundation of China (No. 10251008901000025).