Myopia, or nearsightedness, is a condition where distant objects appear blurry while close objects can be seen clearly.

How does the study induce myopia in mice?

Myopia is induced by applying concave lenses to the eyes of anesthetized mice, which causes the eyes to elongate.

What role do retinal neurons play in this study?

Retinal neurons detect blurred vision and signal the brain to elongate the eyeball for better focus.

What methods were used for recovery after surgery?

Intraperitoneal injections of recovery agents were administered, and the mice were monitored until fully awake.

Why is this research important?

Understanding the mechanisms of myopia can help in developing effective treatments and interventions for vision correction.

Developing Myopia in a Mouse Model Through Lens-Induced Defocusing

JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments

Neuroscience

0 views • 2:48 min • April 28th, 2025

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Start with an anesthetized mouse with an exposed skull bone.

Apply an etching agent to remove the periosteum and create a cleaner surface.

Position the eyeglass holder with lens frames so the eyes are centered within the frames.

Apply adhesive to the holder and let it set, securing it to the skull.

Remove the lens frames to minimize discomfort during recovery.

Intraperitoneally inject a recovery agent to recover the mouse.

When the mouse is awake, reattach the frame containing concave lenses covering the eyes.

These lenses disperse incoming light, causing it to converge behind the retina and resulting in blurred vision.

Retinal neurons detect the blur and signal the brain to elongate the eyeball to focus the light on the retina for clear vision.

After the lenses are removed, the elongated eyeball causes light to converge in front of the retina, impairing near vision in the mouse and resulting in myopia.

To fix the previously prepared goggle frame onto the mouse, first, apply one drop of 0.1% purified sodium hyaluronate eye drop to each eye, and place the chin of the anesthetized mouse onto a sloped surface, so the up front plane of the cranium is horizontal. Use a cotton swab soaked with 70% ethanol to sterilize the hair and scalp between the ears and eyes, and make a 0.8 square centimeter incision in the skin between the ears and eyes to expose the skull. Use dental etching liquid in a cotton swab to remove the periosteum, and use a pair of frames without lenses to help fix the stick onto the right position, carefully adjusting the position of the frames to make sure that both eyes are in the middle of the empty frames.

Use a self-cured dental adhesive system to attach the stick onto the mouse head, and wait about five minutes before carefully removing the frame and the nut without changing the position of the stick. Then, inject 0.75 milligrams per kilogram of atipamezole hydrochloride intraperitoneally to help the mouse to recover from the anesthesia more quickly, and place the mouse into an individual cage until fully recovered. 24 hours after the surgery, grasp the stick and place the frames with lenses onto the animal to initiate the myopia induction.