BMP2 inhibits myopia progression by upregulating PPARγ in guinea pigs.

Abstract

Myopia is the most prevalent eye disease globally with currently no safe and accessible treatments available. Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) is located in multiple eye tissues and is crucial for eye development and differentiation. Nonetheless, the precise roles of BMP2 in myopia still unclear. In this investigation, we observed a marked decrease in scleral BMP2 levels in form-deprivation myopia (FDM) guinea pigs. Subconjunctival injections of exogenous BMP2 recombinant protein could partially counteract the decline in choroidal blood perfusion (ChBP) and myopia development. Subsequent investigations revealed that BMP2 alleviates the myopia-induced reduction in scleral Collagen type I alpha 1 expression and the elevation of scleral hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) levels. In an in vitro hypoxia model, the inhibition of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ (PPARγ) counteracts the influence of BMP2 on scleral extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling in human scleral fibroblasts. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that BMP2 inhibits myopia development and regulates scleral ECM remodeling through the enhancement of PPARγ, highlighting BMP2 as a viable and easily obtainable candidate for myopia management.