Journal Article

Dietary ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are protective for myopia

Guan, Zhenqi, Zhang, Sen, Wang, Li, Wu, Hao, Kang, Lin, Pan, Miaozhen, Zhao, Chenchen, Zhou, Xiangtian, Zhou, Xuan, Zhao, Fei, Xie, Bintao, Qu, Jia, Ye, Cong, Yang, Fan, Zhang, Yuqing, Wang, Qi, Lei, Yi

2021

Overview

Myopia is a leading cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide. However, a safe and accessible approach for myopia control and prevention is currently unavailable. Here, we investigated the therapeutic effect of dietary supplements of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) on myopia progression in animal models and on decreases in choroidal blood perfusion (ChBP) caused by near work, a risk factor for myopia in young adults. We demonstrated that daily gavage of ω-3 PUFAs (300 mg docosahexaenoic acid [DHA] plus 60 mg eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA]) significantly attenuated the development of form deprivation myopia in guinea pigs and mice, as well as of lens-induced myopia in guinea pigs. Peribulbar injections of DHA also inhibited myopia progression in form-deprived guinea pigs. The suppression of myopia in guinea pigs was accompanied by inhibition of the “ChBP reduction–scleral hypoxia cascade.” Additionally, treatment with DHA or EPA antagonized hypoxia-induced myofibroblast transdifferentiation in cultured human scleral fibroblasts. In human subjects, oral administration of ω-3 PUFAs partially alleviated the near-work–induced decreases in ChBP. Therefore, evidence from these animal and human studies suggests ω-3 PUFAs are potential and readily available candidates for myopia control.

• Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
• Subject: Administration, Oral / Animal models / Animals / Biological Sciences / Blindness / Cell Transdifferentiation / Cells, Cultured / Choroid - blood supply / Deprivation / Dietary Supplements / Disease Models, Animal / Disease Progression / Docosahexaenoic acid / Docosahexaenoic Acids - administration & dosage / Eicosapentaenoic acid / Eicosapentaenoic Acid - administration & dosage / Fatty acids / Fatty Acids, Omega-3 - administration & dosage / Fibroblasts / Fish oils / Guinea Pigs / Humans / Hypoxia / Hypoxia - diet therapy / Hypoxia - physiopathology / Hypoxia - prevention & control / Medical Sciences / Mice / Myofibroblasts - pathology / Myopia / Myopia - diet therapy / Myopia - physiopathology / Myopia - prevention & control / Oral administration / Perfusion / Polyunsaturated fatty acids / Risk analysis / Risk factors / Swine / Young Adult / Young adults