[Antisense c-fos oligonucleotides-induced myopia in guinea pigs].
OBJECTIVE
To characterize the antisense c-fos oligonucleotides that control the expression of immediate-early gene c-fos in retina in order to better understand the mechanism by which antisense c-fos oligonucleotides induced myopia. In this study the signal transduction in the pathway linking visual experience and the regulation of the eye's growth was investigated.


METHODS
Thirty-one 3-week guinea pigs were assigned into 3 groups: antisense and sense c-fos oligonucleotides were intravitreally injected every 3 days to the eyes of the experimental guinea pigs at different concentrations; and saline vehicle to control guinea pigs in the same way. The refraction and axial length of the eyes were measured before and after the treatment, and the immediate-early gene c-fos expression in the retina was quantified by immunohistochemistry and RT-PCR.


RESULTS
The moderate myopia was induced in high (1 nmol) and low (0.1 nmol) level of antisense c-fos oligonucleotide intravitreous injection (-5.425 D and -5.575 D, respectively) compared with the control ateral eyes. The refraction and axial length of the treated eyes increased, and the expression of immediate-early gene c-fos decreased significantly in the antisense c-fos oligonucleotides intravitreously injected eyes compared with the sense c-fos oligonucleotide intravitreously and saline vehicle injected eyes (P<0.01). The refraction and axial length were of no statistically significant differences among the sense c-fos oligonucleotides-treated eyes and saline-treated eyes and non-treated eyes (P>0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The obvious myopia can be induced by antisense c-fos oligonucleotides in guinea pigs; antisense c-fos oligonucleotides inhibit c-fos expression in the retina. Immediate-early gene c-fos may be a potential factor in the prevention of myopia and plays an important role in the signal transduction of the retina.
Liu
Shuang-Zhen
SZ
Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410008, China. liushzhxy@163.com
Wei
Xin
X
Wang
Jie-Yue
JY
Wu
Xiao-Ying
XY
Tan
Xing-Ping
XP
D000818:Animals; D017781:Genes, Immediate-Early / Q000235:genetics; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008845:Microinjections; D009216:Myopia / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics* / Q000633:toxicity; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
D016376:Oligonucleotides, Antisense; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D012333:RNA, Messenger