Gradient myopic defocus causes scleral tissue reinforcement and structural scleral remodelling

Abstract

Aims/Purpose: To determine histological effects of lens induced refractive change on scleral remodelling in chicks.Methods: 18 Ross‐Ross chicks were raised for 14 days on a 14 hr light/10 hr dark cycle. 6 chicks were allowed to develop normally. 6 chicks wore conventional ‐10D lenses for the full 14 days. 6 chicks wore conventional ‐10D lenses for the first 7 days and myopia progression control (MPC) lenses or the next 7 days. MPC lenses had a central power of ‐10D and a gradient power rise at pupil edge (+ 2.75D). Birds were euthanized after 14 days and eyes were routinely processed for histopathological evaluation. Whole mount H&E‐stained tissue sections were microscopically analysed using bright field microscopy.Results: All lens treated birds developed significant myopia as expected Total scleral thickness was significantly reduced in the group wearing conventional ‐10 lenses (p < 0.05), but remained comparable to the normal control group for the MPC lenses treated birds. New appositional growth of the cartilaginous sclera was observed in all MPC lenses treated eyes and only in those eyes. The thickness of the cartilaginous component of the sclera was 135 ± 6, 153 ± 5, 125 ± 8 μm for conventional myopic, MPC lenses treated, and control birds respectively. There was a significant increase in the cartilaginous scleral thickness in the MPC lenses treated birds compared to the other two groups (p < 0.03), but not between the conventional ‐10D lens treated and control birds (p > 0.05).Conclusions: It is possible to induce appositional growth in hyaline cartilage in the chick sclera. In our study, this has only been achieved by using MPC lenses to reverse previously induced experimental myopia with conventional minus lenses. Our finding suggests that gradient decrease in peripheral lens power and the resulting differential level of defocus it causes could be a potential trigger of scleral reinforcement through stimulation of cartilage growth in the chick sclera.