Polarized Light Microscopy-Based Quantification of Scleral Collagen Fiber Bundle Remodeling in the Lens-Induced...

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Connective Tissue Biology

Background:

• Scleral remodeling is integral to myopia development.
• Previous studies focused on ultrastructural collagen changes, but quantitative fiber bundle analysis was limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantitatively assess scleral collagen remodeling in a lens-induced myopia (LIM) mouse model.
• To evaluate polarized light microscopy (PLM) with picrosirius red (PSR) staining as a method for collagen architecture analysis.

Main Methods:

• Lens-induced myopia (LIM) was established in C57BL/6J mice using a -30 D lens from postnatal week 3 to 6.
• Refraction and axial length were measured.
• Scleral collagen was analyzed using polarized light microscopy (PLM) with picrosirius red (PSR) staining.

Main Results:

• LIM eyes exhibited significant myopic shifts (-8.42 ± 3.87 D) and axial elongation (0.21 ± 0.04 mm) compared to controls.
• PLM revealed looser, more disorganized collagen bundles in myopic sclera.
• Quantitative analysis showed reduced collagen bundle proportion (40.91 ± 6.58%) and mean size (147.11 ± 59.38 µm²) in myopic sclera.

Conclusions:

• Myopia development is associated with significant scleral structural remodeling.
• PLM combined with PSR staining is a practical approach for quantitative, wide-field evaluation of scleral collagen architecture in experimental myopia models.