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This study aims to explore how sleep deprivation affects myopia development in guinea pigs.

June 27, 2026Laboratory Animal Research0 citationsOpen Access

The effect of sleep deprivation on lens-induced-myopia in guinea pigs

YCYao ChenCentral South University XYXueli YangCross-Cutting Cardiology 毛毛俊峰Central South University

Key Points

This study aims to explore how sleep deprivation affects myopia development in guinea pigs.
Divided 45 guinea pigs into three groups: LIM, LIM+SD20hr, and LIM+SD21hr, with SD defined by daily deprivation of 20 and 21 hours.
Second phase involved 36 guinea pigs split into LIM+SD20hr, LIM+SD20hr + NE-100, and LIM+SD20hr+saline groups with NE-100 being a Sigma-1 receptor antagonist.
Measured retinal Sigma1R expression and neurotransmitter levels using immunofluorescence and high-performance liquid chromatography.
Sleep deprivation accelerated myopic refraction (-3.14 ± 0.19 D vs. -1.93 ± 0.16 D in LIM alone, p < 0.001) and axial elongation (8.34 ± 0.02 mm vs. 8.21 ± 0.01 mm, p < 0.01).
Retinal Glu/GABA ratio increased significantly (p < 0.001) in sleep-deprived groups, with Sigma1R expression upregulated (p < 0.001).
Administration of NE-100 partially reversed myopic shifts (-1.86 ± 0.20 D vs. -3.21 ± 0.21 D in LIM+SD, p < 0.001) and normalized Glu/GABA levels.

Abstract

Abstract Background Myopia is one of the most common refractive vision disorders. Recent studies have demonstrated that insufficient sleep correlates with myopia development in adolescents. However, the underlying mechanism for myopia progression is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effect of sleep deprivation (SD) on the myopia development of guinea pigs. Results The experiment was divided into two parts. In the initial part, 45 animals were evenly divided into three groups, namely, the LIM(lens-induced myopia) group, LIM+SD20hr group, and LIM+SD21hr group. Thirty-six animals were used in the second part and divided into three groups: the LIM+SD20hr, LIM+SD20hr + NE-100 (Sigma-1 receptor antagonist), and LIM+SD20hr+saline groups. For animals of the LIM+SD20hr group, apart from wearing a concave lens on the right eye, they were deprived of sleep for 20 h daily. The LIM+SD21hr group was deprived of sleep for 21 h daily instead. For the LIM+SD20hr + NE-100 group, peribulbar injections of NE-100 60 µg were administered in the right eye. The LIM+SD20hr+saline group was administered with saline instead. The expression of retinal Sigma1R was measured using immunofluorescence staining and a Western blot. γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamic acid (Glu) content in the retina was determined using the high-performance liquid chromatography electrochemical method. In the first set of experiments, SD alone did not induce myopia in control eyes but accelerated LIM progression, with increased myopic refraction (-3.14 ± 0.19 D vs. -1.93 ± 0.16 D in LIM alone, p < 0.001), axial elongation (8.34 ± 0.02 mm vs. 8.21 ± 0.01 mm, p < 0.01), and elevated retinal Glu/GABA ratio (p < 0.001). S1R expression was upregulated in LIM + SD eyes (p < 0.001). In the second set of experiments, intravitreal NE-100 administration partially reversed these effects, reducing myopic shift (-1.86 ± 0.20 D, vs. -3.21 ± 0.21 D In LIM + SD) and normalizing Glu/GABA levels (p < 0.001). Conclusions SD exacerbates LIM via S1R activation and neurotransmitter dysregulation. S1R antagonists like NE-100 may offer therapeutic potential for myopia control.

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