Acupuncture blocks the STAT3-MMP-2 pathway in a guinea pig model of lens-induced myopia.

This article investigates the effects of manual acupuncture (MA) on the signal transduction and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) – matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) pathway in a guinea pig model of lens-induced myopia (LIM). The study found that LIM increased STAT3 activation and MMP-2 expression while decreasing tissue inhibitor of MMP-2 (TIMP-2), leading to ocular tissue remodeling and axial elongation characteristic of myopia. Acupuncture at traditional points Taiyang and LI4 reduced STAT3 activation, decreased MMP-2 levels, increased TIMP-2 expression, and mitigated structural damage in ocular tissues, thereby slowing myopia progression. These findings suggest that acupuncture may delay myopia development by modulating the STAT3-MMP-2 pathway and inhibiting scleral remodeling in this animal model.