Exogenous All-TransRetinoic Acid Induces Myopia and Alters Scleral Biomechanics in Mice

• DOI: 10.1167/iovs.64.5.22
• Publication Date: 2023-05-23T15:02:59Z
• Authors: Dillon M. Brown; Jianshi Yu; Praveen Kumar; Quinn M. Paulus; Michael A. Kowalski; Jay M. Patel; Maureen A. Kane; C. Ross Ethier; Machelle T. Pardue
• Keywords: Sclera; Biomechanics

Ocular all-trans retinoic acid (atRA) levels are influenced by visual cues, and exogenous atRA has been shown to increase eye size in chickens guinea pigs. However, it is not clear whether induces myopic axial elongation via scleral changes. Here, we test the hypothesis that will induce myopia alter biomechanics mouse.Male C57BL/6J mice were trained voluntarily ingest + vehicle (1% sugar, 25 mg/kg) (RA: n = 16 animals) or only (Ctrl: 14 animals). Refractive error (RE) ocular biometry measured at baseline after 1 2 weeks of daily treatment. Eyes used ex vivo assays measure (unconfined compression: 18), total sulfated glycosaminoglycan (sGAG) content (dimethylmethylene blue: 23), specific sGAGs (immunohistochemistry: 18).Exogenous caused RE larger vitreous chamber depth (VCD) develop week (RE: -3.7 ± 2.2 diopters [D], P < 0.001; VCD: +20.7 15.1 µm, 0.001), becoming more severe -5.7 D, +32.3 25.8 0.001). The anterior was unaffected. While sGAG measurably affected, significantly altered (tensile stiffness: -30% 19.5%, permeability: +60% 95.3%, 0.001).In mice, treatment results an phenotype. developed VCD without being affected. decrease stiffness permeability sclera consistent with form-deprivation