title: Effects of scleral cross-linking using genipin on the process of form-deprivation myopia in the guinea pig: a randomized controlled experimental study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Scleral cross-linking (CXL) is a novel attempt to slow down the axial elongation process in animal eyes. As a natural CXL reagent, genipin would be also effective for the prevention of myopia process. Thus, the present study was designed to evaluate the effects of scleral cross-linking using genipin on the form-deprivation (FD) myopia process of guinea pigs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven 3-week-old pigmented guinea pigs were randomly divided into three groups. Group A (n = 8) is the untreated control group. Group B (n = 8) is the FD control group, where all eyes were induced with monocular FD for 21 days. In Group C (n = 11), a sub-Tenon injection of 0.10 mL 0.50 % genipin was performed on FD eyes at day 0, 7 and 14 during the 21-day monocular FD. The ocular refraction, axial length, biomechanical test and light and electron microscopy were measured on all eyes to check the efficacy and safety of this scleral CXL technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with Group A, significant increases in myopic refractive errors, axial elongation and reductions of scleral fibril diameter and density were observed in the 21-day FD eyes of Group B (P < 0.05). In Group C, the scleral CXL resulted in less myopia and axial elongation as compared with Group B (P < 0.05); a significant thickening of scleral fibrils was found after sub-Tenon injections of genipin; no histological damage on the retina or choroid was observed in Group C at the end of this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The FD myopia in guinea pig eyes was effectively blocked by the scleral CXL using sub-Tenon injections of genipin. No histological damage was found on the retina or choroid of these treated eyes. Further studies are needed to examine the long-term efficacy and safety of this CXL technique.
authors.affiliation: Hebei Provincial Eye Hospital, Hebei Provincial Ophthalmology Key Lab, No.399 Quanbeidong Street, Xingtai City, Hebei Province, 054001, China. wangmengmg@163.com.
authors.forename: Mengmeng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Eye Can Philippines, Inc., San Juan City, Metro Manila, Philippines. christine.sensei@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Christine Carole C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Corpuz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D058452:Axial Length, Eye / Q000503:physiopathology; D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D056965:Injections, Intraocular; D039823:Iridoids / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009216:Myopia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D012590:Sclera / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D012683:Sensory Deprivation
chemical_list: D002756:Cholagogues and Choleretics; D003432:Cross-Linking Reagents; D039823:Iridoids; C007834:genipin