Issue 10, 2020

Near infrared light exposure is associated with increased mitochondrial membrane potential in retinal pigmented epithelial cells

Abstract

The goal of this study was to characterize the effect of near-infrared light exposure on mitochondrial membrane potential, in vitro. We focused on the retinal pigmented epithelial (RPE) cells due to our interest in the visual health of military airmen exposed to infrared light, which causes thermal damage to the retina. Within RPE cells, an irradiance of 1.6 mW cm−2 for 30 minutes, resulting in a total fluence of 2.88 J cm−2, induces resistance to cell death in retinal pigmented epithelial cells exposed to a 1-sec hazardous pulse of 2 μm laser radiation 1. Thus, we examined the impact of this exposure on mitochondrial membrane potential in RPE cells. To do this, the fluorescent molecule, tetramethylrhodamine ethyl ester (TMRE), was used to quantify mitochondrial membrane potential. TMRE is a cell permeant, positively-charged, red-orange dye that readily accumulates in active mitochondria due to their relative negative charge. Depolarized or inactive mitochondria have decreased membrane potential and fail to sequester TMRE. Data from our study show that RPE cells exposed to an irradiance of 1.6 mW cm−2 for 30 minutes demonstrate elevations in mitochondrial membrane potential. This is the expectation if NIR light exposure is associated with oxygen consumption, as shown in previously published studies. Thus, by focusing on the uptake of TMRE in mitochondria, our findings provide additional details regarding the mechanism underlying the effect of NIR and potentially PBM in RPE cells. These findings may also apply to other cell types and red and NIR light exposures.

Graphical abstract: Near infrared light exposure is associated with increased mitochondrial membrane potential in retinal pigmented epithelial cells

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
05 رمضان 1441
Accepted
01 صفر 1442
First published
04 صفر 1442

Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2020,19, 1455-1459

Author version available

Near infrared light exposure is associated with increased mitochondrial membrane potential in retinal pigmented epithelial cells

C. Rono and T. R. Oliver, Photochem. Photobiol. Sci., 2020, 19, 1455 DOI: 10.1039/D0PP00168F

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Spotlight

Advertisements