Exploring the metabolic implications of blue light exposure during daytime in rats

• Published in: Ecotoxicology and environmental safety 2024-06, Vol.278, p.116436-116436, Article 116436
• Main Authors: Nian, Jingjing, Lan, Wenning, Wang, Ziran, Zhang, Xiaojing, Yao, Hong, Zhang, Fangrong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Blue Light; Blue light Exposure; Circadian Rhythm; Kidney - metabolism; Kidney - radiation effects; Light; Male; Metabolomics; NMR spectroscopy; Oxidative Stress - radiation effects; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley
• ISSN: 0147-6513; 1090-2414
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.116436

Excessive exposure to light is a global issue. Artificial light pollution has been shown to disrupt the body's natural circadian rhythm. To investigate the impacts of light on metabolism, we studied Sprague-Dawley rats chronically exposed to red or blue light during daytime or nighttime. Rats in the experimental group were exposed to extended light for 4 hours during daytime or nighttime to simulate the effects of excessive light usage. Strikingly, we found systemic metabolic alterations only induced by blue light during daytime. Furthermore, we conducted metabolomic analyses of the cerebrospinal fluid, serum, heart, liver, spleen, adrenal, cerebellum, pituitary, prostate, spermatophore, hypothalamus and kidney from rats in the control and blue light exposure during daytime. Significant changes in metabolites have been observed in cerebrospinal fluid, serum, hypothalamus and kidney of rats exposed to blue light during daytime. Metabolic alterations observed in rats encompassing pyruvate metabolism, glutathione metabolism homocysteine degradation, phosphatidylethanolamine biosynthesis, and phospholipid biosynthesis, exhibit analogous patterns to those inherent in specific physiological processes, notably neurodevelopment, cellular injury, oxidative stress, and autophagic pathways. Our study provides insights into tissue-specific metabolic changes in rats exposed to blue light during the daytime and may help explain potential mechanisms of photopathogenesis. [Display omitted] •We conducted a metabolomic analysis of light-exposure in rats by NMR spectroscopy.•Blue light exposure during daytime induced metabolic alterations in rats.•Metabolic changes occur in cerebrospinal fluid, serum, hypothalamus and kidney.•Alterations provide insights into potential mechanisms of photopathogenesis.