We investigated the effect of low-dose blue LED irradiation (450-460 nm, 0.01-1 J / cm2) on the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells of Japanese quail Coturnix japonica . In biochemical experiments it was shown that such light exposure promoted mitochondrial activity of RPE cells as well as increased their overall metabolic and antioxidant activity. In addition, electron microscopy and morphometric analysis revealed the increase in the number and the specific volume of RPE mitochondria in response to the blue light. So, our data indicate that low-dose blue light has activation effect on the RPE metabolism (especially on their mitochondrial activity) and open prospects for the future use of weak blue light for photomodulation of cellular processes in therapeutic ophthalmology.
blue light, retinal pigment epithelium, mitochondria, metabolic activity, antioxidant activity, electron microscopy
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