Abstract
Purpose :
This study investigated the effects of competing imposed optical defocus on gene expression of TGF-βs in chick retinal pigment epithelium (RPE).
Methods :
14-day old White-Leghorn chicks wore monocular Fresnel lenses incorporating various optical power combinations (plano/-10D, +5D/-10D, +10D/-10D, +10D/-5D, +10D/plano) for 15 min, 2 h, 2 d and 4 d. qPCR was used to quantify differential gene expression in chick RPE for TGF-β1, 2, and 3.
Results :
Gene expression of TGF-β2 was up-regulated after short periods (2 h or 2 d) with all lenses. Notably, TGF-β2 gene expression was up-regulated 266 ± 43% (+5D/-10D), 321 ± 106% (+10D/-10D), 200 ± 35% (+10D/-5D), and 221 ± 41% (+10D/plano), respectively after 2 h exposure. The plano/-10D lens also induced up-regulation of TGF-β2 gene expression, but only after 2 days. Significant up-regulation of TGF-β3 expression, albeit much smaller in magnitude, was also recorded with the +5D/-10D lens, and only after 2 h.
Conclusions :
Expression of TGF-β2 genes in chick RPE is sensitive to imposed competing retinal defocus, i.e., of opposite sign. That TGF-β2 gene expression was consistently up-regulated with inclusion of myopic defocus (positive power) is consistent with previous results with single vision lens treatment. The results also further support the targeting of RPE TGF-β2 for myopia control.
This abstract was presented at the 2022 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Denver, CO, May 1-4, 2022, and virtually.