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Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine >

2025 , Vol. 45 >Issue 4: 796 - 805

DOI: https://doi.org/10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2025.04.010

Original Articles

Mechanism of electroacupuncture involve in lens-induced myopia guinea pigs by inhibiting wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway

  • Ping ZHAO ,
  • Xingbo HE ,
  • Xudong HAN ,
  • Xinyue CHEN ,
  • Zhanglong LI ,
  • Jike SONG ,
  • Wenjia XING ,
  • Jiangfeng WU ,
  • Bin GUO ,
  • Hongsheng BI
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  • 1 Medical College of Optometry and Ophthalmology, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250000, China
    2 College of Artificial Intelligence and Big Data for Medical Sciences, Shandong First Medical University, Shandong 250021, China
BI Hongsheng, Medical College of Optometry and Ophthalmology, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250000, China, Hongshengbi@126.com,Telephone: + 86-531-58859697
GUO Bin, Medical College of Optometry and Ophthalmology, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan 250000, China, guobin@sdutcm.edu.cn;

Received date: 2024-05-22

  Accepted date: 2024-11-25

  Online published: 2025-07-25

Supported by

National Natural Youth Science Foundation: Research on the Mechanism of Acupuncture in Modulating the Inflammatory Microenvironment via the Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptor (mAChR1) Signaling Pathway for Myopia Intervention(82205198);China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Project: Research on the Mechanism of Acupuncture in Modulating the Inflammatory Microenvironment via the mAChR1 Signaling Pathway for Myopia Intervention(2022M711984);Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation General Program: to Investigate the Underlying Mechanism of Acupuncture in Treating Myopia Associated eith Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome through the Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors (M-AChRs) Signaling Pathway(ZR2020MH393);Postdoctoral Innovation Project of Shandong Province: Research on the Mechanism of Electroacupuncture in Treating Myopia with "Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome" through the M-AChRs/Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid Signaling Pathway(202101012);China Postdoctoral Foundation General Program: to Investigate the Underlying Mechanism of Acupuncture in Treating Myopia Associated with Kidney Yang Deficiency Syndrome through the M-AChRs Signaling Pathway(2020M672127);National Natural Science Foundation: Research on the Influence of Acupuncture on the Accommodative Function and Visual Cortex Functional Network of Myopia and its Mechanism(82074498);National Key R & D Project: National Key Research and Development Program "Basic Research on High Myopia"(2019YFC1710200);National Natural Science Foundation of China: Research on the Relationship between Lens-Induced Myopia based on Omics Technology and Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome Types and its Molecular Mechanism(82474579)

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the mechanism of electro-acupuncture (EA) effect by the wingless-related integration site (Wnt)/β-catenin pathway in the guinea pig myopia model.

METHODS: Following myopia induction and EA, guinea pigs were treated with biometry to evaluate refraction and axial length. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to observe that the retina, choroid, and sclera had abnormal morphology. At 4, 6, and 8 weeks, quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was used to identify the expression of matrix metallopeptidase-2 (MMP-2)/MMP-3/tissue inhibitor of metalloprotease-2 (TIMP-2)/TIMP-3/Wnt family member 2B (WNT2B)/WNT3A/ WNT7B/beta-catenin 1 (CTNNB1), and dickkopf wnt signaling pathway inhibitor 1 (DKK-1) mRNAs in the retina, choroid, and sclera. Western blot was used to detect the protein expression of WNT7B/2B/3A, CTNNB1 and DKK-1 in retina, choroid and sclera at 4 weeks. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the protein expression of MMP-2/TIMP-2 and MMP-3/TIMP-3 in serum at 4 weeks. Moreover, a DKK-1 inhibitor was injected into the vitreous cavity, and the expression of the above molecules was detected.

RESULTS: EA could reduce the optic axial length and diopter and ameliorate ocular pathology, inhibited the expression of MMP-2/MMP-3 and WNT2B/WNT3A/ WNT7B/CTNNB1, while increased the expression levels of TIMP-2/TIMP-3 and DKK-1. However, the expression levels of WNT2B/WNT3A/WNT7B/CTNNB1 and MMP-2/MMP-3 were significantly increased, and the TIMP-2/TIMP-3 and DKK-1 expression levels were decreased after injected DKK-1 inhibitor.

CONCLUSION: The mechanism of EA’s effects on myopia may involve the downregulation of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway and correct MMP-2/MMP-3/TIMP-2/TIMP-3 balance.

Key words： myopia; electroacupuncture; Wnt proteins; beta catenin; matrix metalloproteinases; tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases; dickkopf wnt signaling pathway inhibitor 1

Cite this article

Ping ZHAO , Xingbo HE , Xudong HAN , Xinyue CHEN , Zhanglong LI , Jike SONG , Wenjia XING , Jiangfeng WU , Bin GUO , Hongsheng BI . Mechanism of electroacupuncture involve in lens-induced myopia guinea pigs by inhibiting wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway[J]. Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2025 , 45(4) : 796 -805 . DOI: 10.19852/j.cnki.jtcm.2025.04.010

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