Worldwide, myopia is the leading cause of visual impairment. It results from inappropriate extension of the ocular axis and concomitant declines in scleral strength and thickness caused by extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. However, the identities of the initiators and signaling pathways that induce scleral ECM remodeling in myopia are unknown. Here, we used single-cell RNA-sequencing to identify pathways activated in the sclera during myopia development. We found that the hypoxia-signaling, the eIF2-signaling, and mTOR-signaling pathways were activated in murine myopic sclera. Consistent with the role of hypoxic pathways in mouse model of myopia, nearly one third of human myopia risk genes from the genome-wide association study and linkage analyses interact with genes in the hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α)-signaling pathway. Furthermore, experimental myopia selectively induced HIF-1α up-regulation in the myopic sclera of both mice and guinea pigs. Additionally, hypoxia exposure (5% O) promoted myofibroblast transdifferentiation with down-regulation of type I collagen in human scleral fibroblasts. Importantly, the antihypoxia drugs salidroside and formononetin down-regulated HIF-1α expression as well as the phosphorylation levels of eIF2α and mTOR, slowing experimental myopia progression without affecting normal ocular growth in guinea pigs. Furthermore, eIF2α phosphorylation inhibition suppressed experimental myopia, whereas mTOR phosphorylation induced myopia in normal mice. Collectively, these findings defined an essential role of hypoxia in scleral ECM remodeling and myopia development, suggesting a therapeutic approach to control myopia by ameliorating hypoxia.

SUMMARY Experience refines synaptic connectivity through neural activity-dependent regulation of transcription factors. Although activity-dependent regulation of transcription factors has been well described, it is unknown if synaptic activity and local, dendritic regulation of the induced transcripts are necessary for mammalian synaptic plasticity in response to transcription factor activation. Neuronal depolarization activates the Myocyte Enhancer Factor 2 (MEF2) family of transcription factors which suppresses excitatory synapse number. We report that activation of metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 (mGluR5) on the dendrites, but not cell soma, of hippocampal CA1 neurons is required for MEF2-induced functional and structural synapse elimination. We present evidence that mGluR5 is necessary for synapse elimination to stimulate dendritic translation of the MEF2-target gene Arc/Arg3.1. Arc is required for MEF2-induced synapse elimination, where it plays an acute, cell autonomous and postsynaptic role. This work reveals a role for dendritic activity in local translation of specific transcripts in synapse refinement.

Oyster extracts have been reported to have many bioactive peptides. But the function of oyster peptides produced by proteolysis is still unknown. In this study, the oligopeptide-enriched hydrolysates from oyster (Crassostrea gigas) were produced using the protease from Bacillus sp. SM98011 at laboratory level, and scaled up to pilot (100 L) and plant (1,000 L) levels with the same conditions. And the antitumor activity and immunostimulating effects of the oyster hydrolysates in BALB/c mice were investigated. The growth of transplantable sarcoma-S180 was obviously inhibited in a dose-dependent manner in BALB/c mice given the oyster hydrolysates. Mice receiving 0.25, 0.5 and 1 mg/g of body weight by oral gavage had 6.8%, 30.6% and 48% less tumor growth, respectively. Concurrently, the weight coefficients of the thymus and the spleen, the activity of natural killer (NK) cells, the spleen proliferation of lymphocytes and the phagocytic rate of macrophages in S180-bearing mice significantly increased after administration of the oyster hydrolysates. These results demonstrated that oyster hydrolysates produced strong immunostimulating effects in mice, which might result in its antitumor activity. The antitumor and immunostimulating effects of oyster hydrolysates prepared in this study reveal its potential for tumor therapy and as a dietary supplement with immunostimulatory activity.