Ocular diurnal rhythms and eye growth

眼昼节律和眼睛生长

• 批准号: 6895748
• 负责人: DEBORA L NICKLA
• 金额: $ 18.9万
• 依托单位: NEW ENGLAND COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRY
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-08-01 至 2007-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/6895748
• 关键词: biological signal transduction; chickens; circadian rhythms; glycoprotein biosynthesis; growth /development; membrane reconstitution /synthesis; molecular film; myopia; retinoate; sclera; ultrasonography

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the United States, myopia affects nearly 25 percent of the population, while in certain other developed countries the proportion of the population affected increases to 80 percent or more. Pathological myopia is also a leading cause of blindness. Therefore, understanding the mechanisms underlying the regulation of ocular growth is critical towards understanding how and why it goes awry in eyes that develop ametropias, and might lead to the development of new therapies. Recent work has indicated that changes in the rate of ocular growth are associated with alterations in ocular circadian rhythms. The work proposed here seeks to extend these original observations, to better understand the mechanisms underlying these effects. Specifically, we ask whether the phase shifts in the rhythms in axial length and choroid thickness (two ocular circadian rhythms the phases of which have been shown to be altered by visual manipulations that alter growth rate) are temporally correlated with visually induced changes in rate of ocular growth. This would imply that the changes in thickness of the choroid might play a causal role in ocular growth regulation. To further explore this notion we will test the hypothesis that daily transient changes in choroidal thickness are part of the signal pathway mediating emmetropization. Specifically, we ask whether the visual signals mediating changes in choroidal thickness and those mediating changes in ocular growth rate are the same, or are separate. Finally, we will look at some visual and chemical effects on the circadian rhythm in scleral proteoglycan synthesis to further explore how the phases of these ocular rhythms might interact in regulating ocular growth. We will also test the hypothesis that there is a diurnal rhythm in choroidal retinoic acid synthesis that might influence the diurnal rhythm in scieral proteoglycan synthesis. The results from these three Aims will bring us closer to understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying ocular growth regulation, and elucidate the influence of the choroid in these mechanisms.

描述（由申请人提供）：在美国，近视影响了近25%的人口，而在某些其他发达国家，受近视影响的人口比例增加到80%或更多。病理性近视也是失明的主要原因。因此，了解眼部生长调控机制对于理解屈光不正是如何以及为何发生的至关重要，并可能导致新疗法的发展。