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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Med.
Sec. Ophthalmology
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fmed.2024.1502612

Protective Effects of Docosahexaenoic Acid Combined with Bilberry Extract on Myopic Guinea Pigs

Provisionally accepted
Tainan Lin Tainan Lin 1,2*Jianzhang Hu Jianzhang Hu 1Qian Wen Qian Wen 2Xiaoting Liu Xiaoting Liu 2Jinghua Lin Jinghua Lin 2Qiaomei Shi Qiaomei Shi 2Miao Lin Miao Lin 2Weifu Huang Weifu Huang 3
  • 1 Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China
  • 2 Fujian Provincial Governmental Hospital, Fuzhou, China
  • 3 TowardPi Medical Technology Beijing, Beijing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study aims to investigate the protective effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) combined with bilberry extract (BE) on myopic guinea pigs. In total, 105 healthy pigmented guinea pigs aged two weeks were selected and randomly divided into five groups. The normal control (NC) group received no treatment, while the experimental groups wore -6.0D lenses on the right eye to establish an animal model of lens-induced myopia (LIM). These groups were further divided based on different treatments: normal feeding, DHA treatment, BE treatment, and combined DHA + BE treatment. Refractive error and axial length for both eyes were measured before modeling, after 4 weeks of modeling, and after 8 weeks of treatment. Fundus examination was performed, and choroidal thickness, choroidal vascularity index (CVI), maximal mixed response in dark adaptation (Max-ERG), and cone cell response in light adaptation (Cone-ERG) were measured. After 8 weeks of treatment, we observed a significant reduction in refractive error and shortening of axial length, improvement in fundus condition, and increased choroidal thickness and CVI in the LIM+DHA+BE group. Electroretinogram (ERG) showed that the amplitudes of a-wave and b-wave were enhanced in both Max-ERG and Cone-ERG tests. The LIM+DHA+BE group exhibited superior effects compared to the LIM+DHA group and the LIM+BE group. The combination of DHA and BE delayed the progression of LIM in guinea pigs and was more effective than DHA or BE alone. The synergistic effect of DHA and BE offers a new approach to the prevention and treatment of myopia.

    Keywords: docosahexaenoic acid, Bilberry extract, Lens-induced myopia, Choroidal thickness, choroidal vascularity index, ； Guinea Pigs

    Received: 27 Sep 2024; Accepted: 03 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Lin, Hu, Wen, Liu, Lin, Shi, Lin and Huang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Tainan Lin, Fujian Medical University Union Hospital, Fuzhou, 350001, Fujian Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.