The investigation on the role of mitochondrial fusion protein 1 in the development of myopia

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to preliminarily investigate the expression of mitochondrial fusion protein 1 (MFN1) in a lens-induced animal myopia (LIM) model and to explore the relationship between MFN1 and the visual development. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MFN1 gene expression in guinea pigs was examined during the development of minus LIM, 15 tri-colored guinea pigs were obtained, and one eye of each pig was randomly selected and treated with −7.00D lenses. Ocular refraction and axial length were collected before intervention and 1, 2, and 3 weeks after intervention. After the refraction and axial length measurements at 1, 2, and 3 weeks of lens intervention, five guinea pigs were randomly selected. MFN1 expression in the retina of both eyes was tested by immunohistochemistry technique. RESULTS: MFN1-positive cells could be observed in the retina of both eyes. The positive cells in the LIM eyes were staining deeper, and much more positive cells could be observed. Furthermore, MFN1-positive expression could be seen mainly in ganglion cells after 1 week of minus lens intervention, and with time extension, more and more positive cells appeared in the rod-cone cell and bipolar cell layer, and this phenomenon could not be found in the normal control eyes. CONCLUSION: This study suggested that MFN1 might be correlated to the development of myopia.