Short-wavelength sensitive nonvisual photoreceptors, their role in the pathological effects of night illumination

Abstract

Event Abstract Back to Event Short-wavelength sensitive nonvisual photoreceptors, their role in the pathological effects of night illumination Bela Vigh1*, Maria J. Silva2, Vincze Csilla1, Attila Magyar1, Laszlo Szabo1 and Szel Agoston1 1 Department of Human Morphology and Developmental Biology, Semmelweis University, Hungary 2 Occupational Health Service, Centro Hospitalar de Lisboa Ocidental, Hospital Egas Moniz, Portugal Night-illumination disturbs normal diurnal periodicity thereby increases health risks e.g. gastro-intestinal or cardiovascular disorders, overweight, depression, disturbed sexual activity, brest cancer and colorectal cancer. Normal diurnal periodicity is driven by a genetical self-regulating clock-system present in several organs and having approximately 24 hour-long periods. This clock-system is synchronized by the suprachiasmatic nucleus and adapted to circadian and circannual light periods of the actual environment by nonvisual retinal, pineal and deep brain photoreceptors. The hormone melatonin produced by the pineal organ at night plays a fundamental role in the circadian and circannual periodic synchronization of biologic functions. Short wavelenght light was found to result a melatonin suppression and is an important factor producing pathological events caused by night illumination. In the present work we immunocytochemically localized blue-light sensitive molecules in nonvisual photo-receptors of various experimental animals. Cryptochrome-1, 2, pinopsin and OS-2 being short-wavelength-sensitive molecules were localized in retinal, pineal and deep encephalic photoreceptors. In the retina cryptochrome-2 was localized in nuclei of some photoreceptors, in the inner and outer granular layer, while cryptochrome-1 was found in the cytoplasm of a population of photoreceptors. Pinopsin and OS-2 were localized in the outer segment of some cone-like photoreceptors. The pineal organ representing the main nonvisual photoreceptor in submammalians has a retina-like structure. In the pineal photoreceptors – among other photoreceptor molecules – cryptochrome-2, pinopsin and OS-2 were found. Cryptochrome-2 and Pinopsin was also demonstrated in the suprachiasmatic nucleus being the main circadian pacemaker of the body and in the deep encephalic photoreceptors of lower vertebrates. Our immunocytochemical studies localize and confirm the presence of pinopsin, cryptochromes and OS-2 being blue light sensitive molecules in all nonvisual photoreceptor areas. These results strengthen the view that blue light-free-illumination or vearing blue-light-filtering glasses may reduce health risks caused by reduced melatonin secretion during night-illumination. As also high-intensity red light supresses melatonin secretion, filtered light at night should be of low intensity. Conference: 12th Meeting of the Hungarian Neuroscience Society, Budapest, Hungary, 22 Jan - 24 Jan, 2009. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation Topic: Behavioural neuroscience Citation: Vigh B, Silva MJ, Csilla V, Magyar A, Szabo L and Agoston S (2009). Short-wavelength sensitive nonvisual photoreceptors, their role in the pathological effects of night illumination. Front. Syst. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: 12th Meeting of the Hungarian Neuroscience Society. doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.01.2009.04.131 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 04 Mar 2009; Published Online: 04 Mar 2009. * Correspondence: Bela Vigh, Department of Human Morphology and Developmental Biology, Semmelweis University, Semmelweis, Hungary, vigh@ana2.sote.hu Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Bela Vigh Maria J Silva Vincze Csilla Attila Magyar Laszlo Szabo Szel Agoston Google Bela Vigh Maria J Silva Vincze Csilla Attila Magyar Laszlo Szabo Szel Agoston Google Scholar Bela Vigh Maria J Silva Vincze Csilla Attila Magyar Laszlo Szabo Szel Agoston PubMed Bela Vigh Maria J Silva Vincze Csilla Attila Magyar Laszlo Szabo Szel Agoston Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.