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      Effects of blue light on the circadian system and eye physiology

      review-article
      Author(s): 1 , , 2 , 3
      Publication date (Electronic):
      Journal: Molecular Vision
      Publisher: Molecular Vision

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          Abstract

          Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) have been used to provide illumination in industrial and commercial environments. LEDs are also used in TVs, computers, smart phones, and tablets. Although the light emitted by most LEDs appears white, LEDs have peak emission in the blue light range (400–490 nm). The accumulating experimental evidence has indicated that exposure to blue light can affect many physiologic functions, and it can be used to treat circadian and sleep dysfunctions. However, blue light can also induce photoreceptor damage. Thus, it is important to consider the spectral output of LED-based light sources to minimize the danger that may be associated with blue light exposure. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge of the effects of blue light on the regulation of physiologic functions and the possible effects of blue light exposure on ocular health.

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          Melanopsin and rod-cone photoreceptive systems account for all major accessory visual functions in mice.

          S. Hattar, R. J. Lucas, N Mrosovsky … (2003)
          In the mammalian retina, besides the conventional rod-cone system, a melanopsin-associated photoreceptive system exists that conveys photic information for accessory visual functions such as pupillary light reflex and circadian photo-entrainment. On ablation of the melanopsin gene, retinal ganglion cells that normally express melanopsin are no longer intrinsically photosensitive. Furthermore, pupil reflex, light-induced phase delays of the circadian clock and period lengthening of the circadian rhythm in constant light are all partially impaired. Here, we investigated whether additional photoreceptive systems participate in these responses. Using mice lacking rods and cones, we measured the action spectrum for phase-shifting the circadian rhythm of locomotor behaviour. This spectrum matches that for the pupillary light reflex in mice of the same genotype, and that for the intrinsic photosensitivity of the melanopsin-expressing retinal ganglion cells. We have also generated mice lacking melanopsin coupled with disabled rod and cone phototransduction mechanisms. These animals have an intact retina but fail to show any significant pupil reflex, to entrain to light/dark cycles, and to show any masking response to light. Thus, the rod-cone and melanopsin systems together seem to provide all of the photic input for these accessory visual functions.
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            Diminished pupillary light reflex at high irradiances in melanopsin-knockout mice.

            R. J. Lucas, S. Hattar, M Takao … (2003)
            In the mammalian retina, a small subset of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are intrinsically photosensitive, express the opsin-like protein melanopsin, and project to brain nuclei involved in non-image-forming visual functions such as pupillary light reflex and circadian photoentrainment. We report that in mice with the melanopsin gene ablated, RGCs retrograde-labeled from the suprachiasmatic nuclei were no longer intrinsically photosensitive, although their number, morphology, and projections were unchanged. These animals showed a pupillary light reflex indistinguishable from that of the wild type at low irradiances, but at high irradiances the reflex was incomplete, a pattern that suggests that the melanopsin-associated system and the classical rod/cone system are complementary in function.
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              High sensitivity of the human circadian melatonin rhythm to resetting by short wavelength light.

              Steven Lockley, George Brainard, Charles Czeisler (2003)
              The endogenous circadian oscillator in mammals, situated in the suprachiasmatic nuclei, receives environmental photic input from specialized subsets of photoreceptive retinal ganglion cells. The human circadian pacemaker is exquisitely sensitive to ocular light exposure, even in some people who are otherwise totally blind. The magnitude of the resetting response to white light depends on the timing, intensity, duration, number and pattern of exposures. We report here that the circadian resetting response in humans, as measured by the pineal melatonin rhythm, is also wavelength dependent. Exposure to 6.5 h of monochromatic light at 460 nm induces a two-fold greater circadian phase delay than 6.5 h of 555 nm monochromatic light of equal photon density. Similarly, 460 nm monochromatic light causes twice the amount of melatonin suppression compared to 555 nm monochromatic light, and is dependent on the duration of exposure in addition to wavelength. These studies demonstrate that the peak of sensitivity of the human circadian pacemaker to light is blue-shifted relative to the three-cone visual photopic system, the sensitivity of which peaks at approximately 555 nm. Thus photopic lux, the standard unit of illuminance, is inappropriate when quantifying the photic drive required to reset the human circadian pacemaker.
              Article 0 comments Cited 213 times – based on 0 reviews     Review now
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                Author and article information

                Journal
                Journal ID (nlm-ta): Mol Vis
                Journal ID (iso-abbrev): Mol. Vis
                Journal ID (publisher-id): MV
                Title: Molecular Vision
                Publisher: Molecular Vision
                ISSN (Electronic): 1090-0535
                Publication date Collection: 2016
                Publication date (Electronic): 24 January 2016
                Volume: 22
                Pages: 61-72
                Affiliations
                [1 ]Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and Neuroscience Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
                [2 ]College of Engineering and Computing, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MS
                [3 ]Department of Ophthalmology, Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
                Author notes
                Correspondence to: Gianluca Tosini, 720 Westview Dr. SW, Atlanta GA 30130; Phone: (404) 756 5214; FAX: (404) 752 1041; email: address: gtosini@ 123456msm.edu
                Article
                Publisher ID: 6 Publisher-manuscript ID: 2015MOLVIS0418
                PMC ID: 4734149
                PubMed ID: 26900325
                SO-VID: 49ab6de9-52a2-401f-9cdb-cb0796383b33
                Copyright © Copyright © 2016 Molecular Vision.
                License:

                This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, used for non-commercial purposes, and is not altered or transformed.

                History
                Date received : 26 August 2015
                Date accepted : 21 January 2016
                Categories
                Subject: Review
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                ScienceOpen disciplines: Vision sciences
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                ScienceOpen disciplines: Vision sciences

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