{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,23]],"date-time":"2026-09-23T02:03:11Z","timestamp":1790128991621,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"20","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,19]],"date-time":"2024-10-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1729296000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Chonnam National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute","award":["BCRI24084"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["BCRI24084"]}]},{"name":"Chonnam National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute","award":["BCRI23037"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["BCRI23037"]}]},{"name":"Chonnam National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute","award":["2022R1F1A1075034"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022R1F1A1075034"]}]},{"name":"Chonnam National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute","award":["RS-2023-00280734"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RS-2023-00280734"]}]},{"name":"Chonnam National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute","award":["RS-2020-KH088567"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RS-2020-KH088567"]}]},{"name":"National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education","award":["BCRI24084"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["BCRI24084"]}]},{"name":"National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education","award":["BCRI23037"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["BCRI23037"]}]},{"name":"National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education","award":["2022R1F1A1075034"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022R1F1A1075034"]}]},{"name":"National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education","award":["RS-2023-00280734"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RS-2023-00280734"]}]},{"name":"National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education","award":["RS-2020-KH088567"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RS-2020-KH088567"]}]},{"name":"Korea Health Industry Development Institute funded by the Ministry of Health &amp; Welfare","award":["BCRI24084"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["BCRI24084"]}]},{"name":"Korea Health Industry Development Institute funded by the Ministry of Health &amp; Welfare","award":["BCRI23037"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["BCRI23037"]}]},{"name":"Korea Health Industry Development Institute funded by the Ministry of Health &amp; Welfare","award":["2022R1F1A1075034"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2022R1F1A1075034"]}]},{"name":"Korea Health Industry Development Institute funded by the Ministry of Health &amp; Welfare","award":["RS-2023-00280734"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RS-2023-00280734"]}]},{"name":"Korea Health Industry Development Institute funded by the Ministry of Health &amp; Welfare","award":["RS-2020-KH088567"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RS-2020-KH088567"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>This study aims to investigate the effect of the selective MT2 receptor agonist, IIK7, on corneal autophagy and apoptosis, aiming to reduce corneal epithelial damage and inflammation from blue light exposure in mice. Eight-week-old C57BL\/6 mice were divided into BL-exposed (BL) and BL-exposed with IIK7 treatment (BL + IIK7 group). Mice underwent blue light exposure (410 nm, 100 J) twice daily with assessments at baseline and on days 3, 7, and 14. Corneal samples were analyzed for MT2 receptor expression, autophagy markers (LC3-II and p62), and apoptosis indicators (BAX expression and TUNEL assay). Then, mice were assigned to normal control, BL, and BL + IIK7. Ocular surface parameters, including corneal fluorescein staining scores, tear volume, and tear film break-up time, were evaluated on days 7 and 14. On day 14, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and CD4+ IFN-\u03b3+ T cells percentages were measured. The BL group exhibited higher LC3-II and p62 expression, while the BL + IIK7 group showed reduced expression (p &lt; 0.05). The TUNEL assay showed reduced apoptosis in the BL + IIK7 group compared to the BL group. ROS levels were lower in the BL + IIK7 group. The BL + IIK7 group showed improved ocular surface parameters, including decreased corneal fluorescein staining and increased tear volume. The percentages of CD4+ IFN-\u03b3+ T cells indicated reduced inflammatory responses in the BL + IIK7 group. The MT2 receptor agonist IIK7 regulates corneal autophagy and apoptosis, reducing corneal epithelial damage and inflammation from blue light exposure.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms252011243","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,21]],"date-time":"2024-10-21T03:57:09Z","timestamp":1729483029000},"page":"11243","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["A Selective Melatonin 2 Receptor Agonist, IIK7, Relieves Blue Light-Induced Corneal Damage by Modulating the Process of Autophagy and Apoptosis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"25","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5533-4062","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hyeon-Jeong","family":"Yoon","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Chonnam National University Medical School, and Hospital, Gwangju 61469, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Enying","family":"Jiang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Chonnam National University Medical School, and Hospital, Gwangju 61469, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jingting","family":"Liu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Chonnam National University Medical School, and Hospital, Gwangju 61469, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hui","family":"Jin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Chonnam National University Medical School, and Hospital, Gwangju 61469, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hee Su","family":"Yoon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Chonnam National University Medical School, and Hospital, Gwangju 61469, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ji Suk","family":"Choi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Chonnam National University Medical School, and Hospital, Gwangju 61469, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ja Young","family":"Moon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Chonnam National University Medical School, and Hospital, Gwangju 61469, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2788-1851","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kyung Chul","family":"Yoon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Chonnam National University Medical School, and Hospital, Gwangju 61469, Republic of Korea"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Fietz, A., Hurst, J., and Schnichels, S. 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