Depth and Strain-Dependent Structural Responses of Mouse Lens Fiber Cells During Whole Lens Shape Changes

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biophysics
• Cell Biology

Background:

• The eye lens maintains transparency through precise cellular organization.
• Understanding how lens cells respond to mechanical forces is crucial for explaining vision changes and diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between whole lens shape alterations and the response of fiber cells to external mechanical loads.
• To determine how applied stress affects the morphology and organization of lens fiber cells at different depths within the lens.

Main Methods:

• Mouse lenses were compressed, fixed, and examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
• Fiber cell curvature and membrane paddle dimensions were quantified using ImageJ software.
• Morphological changes were assessed in both cortical and nuclear regions of the lens.

Main Results:

• Axial strain significantly increased cortical fiber bundle curvature but did not affect nuclear fiber bundle curvature.
• Cortical fiber cell membrane paddles and protrusions showed radial distortion and loss of small protrusions under compression.
• Nuclear fiber cell morphology remained unchanged, and cortical cell changes were reversible upon load release.

Conclusions:

• Whole lens compression causes strain-dependent changes in cortical fiber cells, with mechanical stress dissipating with depth.
• The reversibility of these morphological changes suggests that young and mature lens fiber cells possess elastic properties.