summary: Exposure to long wavelength red light significantly reduced blood clot formation in both mouse and human studies. Red light was associated with lower inflammation, lower immune system activation, and decreased procoagulant mechanisms such as neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) and platelet activation.
Unlike blue and white light, red light affects coagulation through the optic nerve pathway, suggesting that the effect is mediated by neural mechanisms rather than direct exposure to blood. These findings offer promising implications for reducing the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other blood clot-related diseases, especially in high-risk groups such as cancer patients.
Researchers are developing red light-based interventions, such as goggles, to explore potential therapeutic applications. If this approach is tested in clinical trials, it could revolutionize blood clot prevention and potentially save millions of lives.
Important facts:
- Reduced blood clots: The blood clots in mice exposed to red light were five times lower than those in mice exposed to blue or white light.
- mechanism: Red light reduced inflammation and platelet activation, which are the main factors in blood clot formation.
- Human relations: Cancer patients who wore blue light-blocking lenses were also shown to have a lower risk of blood clots.
sauce: University of Pittsburgh
Humans and mice exposed to long-wavelength red light have lower rates of blood clots that can cause heart attacks, lung damage, and strokes, according to a study led by University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC surgeon-scientists. It was said to be low. Journal of Thrombosis and Hemostasis.
The discovery, which needs to be tested through clinical trials, could reduce blood clots in veins and arteries, a leading cause of preventable death worldwide.
“The light that we are exposed to can alter our biological processes and alter our health,” said lead author and assistant professor of surgery at the Pitt Center for Trauma and Transfusion Medicine Research and UPMC. said Elizabeth Andruska, MD, vascular surgery resident at . “Our findings could lead to relatively inexpensive treatments that could benefit millions of people.”
Scientists have long linked light exposure to health effects. The rising and setting of the sun is fundamental to metabolism, hormone secretion, and even blood flow, which is why heart attacks and strokes are more likely to occur in the morning than at night. Andruska and his colleagues suspected that light might affect the blood clots that cause these symptoms.
To test this idea, the researchers exposed mice to either red, blue, or white light for 12 hours in a 72-hour cycle, followed by 12 hours of darkness. Next, we looked at differences in blood clots between groups.
Mice exposed to red light had almost five times fewer blood clots than mice exposed to blue or white light. Activity, sleep, diet, weight, and body temperature remained the same between groups.
The team also looked at existing data on more than 10,000 patients who underwent cataract surgery and were fitted with conventional lenses that transmit the entire visible light spectrum or blue-light blocking lenses that transmit about 50% less blue light. Analyzed.
They found that cancer patients who wore blue light-blocking lenses had a lower risk of blood clots than those who wore traditional lenses. This is especially noteworthy because the risk of blood clots in cancer patients is nine times higher than in non-cancer patients.
“These results reveal an intriguing mystery about how the light we are exposed to on a daily basis affects the body’s response to injury,” said lead author and Watson Fund Chair in Surgery. said Matthew Neal, MD. Director of Pitt’s Trauma and Transfusion Medicine Research Center and trauma surgeon at UPMC.
“Our next steps are to understand biologically why this is happening and whether exposing people at high risk of blood clots to more red light will reduce that risk. Our findings could significantly reduce the number of deaths and disabilities caused by blood clots around the world.”
Recently published research shows that the visual pathway is important. The wavelength of the light had no effect on the blind mice, and shining the light directly on the blood did not change clotting.
The research team observed that exposure to red light was associated with reduced inflammation and activation of the immune system. For example, mice exposed to red light had reduced neutrophil extracellular traps (appropriately abbreviated as “NETs”), which are net-like structures created by immune cells to trap invading microorganisms. It can also trap platelets and cause blood clots.
Mice exposed to red light also had increased production of fatty acids and decreased platelet activation. Since platelets are essential for blood clot formation, this naturally reduces blood clot formation.
Understanding how red light causes changes that reduce clotting risk could help scientists develop better drugs and treatments that are more powerful and convenient for patients than continuous exposure to red light. It is possible to develop
In preparation for clinical trials, the researchers are developing red-light goggles that control the amount of light exposure study participants receive, and are investigating who benefits most from red light.
Additional authors of the study are Frederik Denorme, Ph.D., Robert Campbell, Ph.D., and Matthew R. Rosengart, M.D., of Washington University in St. Louis. Christoph Kaltenmeyer, MD, Aishwarya Alibdaynabi, MD, Emily P. Michalko, MD, Mitchell Dyer, MD, Gowtham K. Annarap, MD, Mohammadreza Zarisfi, MD, Patricia Laurent, MD, Mehvez Ozer, MD, Kelly William Dr. Song, Roberto Mota-Alvidres, MD, Dr. Sruti Siva, Dr. Susan Shea, and Richard A. Steinman, MD, all of Pitt. and Dr. Kimberly Thomas of Vitalant Research Institute.
Funding: This research was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R35GM119526, K01AG059892, R01HL163019, R01GM147121, R01GM145674, T32HL98036 and S10OD028483, the University of Pittsburgh Research Computing Center, and the National Research Resources Center Shared Instrumentation. He is a recipient of grants 1S10OD016232-01, 1S10OD018210-01A1 and 1S10OD021505-01, an American Heart Association 2021Post830138 Award, and a Physician-Scientist Facility Award from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
About this neurotechnology and neurological research news
author: Alison Hizik
sauce: University of Pittsburgh
contact: Alison Hidzik – University of Pittsburgh
image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: Open access.
“Changes due to exposure to visible light modulate platelet function and regulate thrombus formationWritten by Elizabeth Andruska et al. Journal of Thrombosis and Hemostasis
abstract
Changes due to exposure to visible light modulate platelet function and regulate thrombus formation
background
Changes in light exposure are associated with changes in inflammation and coagulation. The influence of light spectrum on venous thrombosis (VT) and arterial thrombosis is poorly understood.
the purpose
To investigate the effects of light spectral changes on platelet function in thrombosis.
method
Wild-type C57BL/6J mice were exposed to the ambient environment (mousewhite400 lux), blue (ratblue442 nm, 1400 lux), or red light (mousered617 nm, 1400 lux) for 72 hours with a 12:12 hour light/dark cycle. After 72 h of light exposure, platelet aggregation, activation, transcriptomic, and metabolomic changes were measured.
The ability of released products of platelet activation to induce the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps that lead to thrombus formation was quantified. Subsequent thrombosis was measured using mouse models of VT and stroke.
To extrapolate our findings to human patients, we evaluated cataract patients undergoing optical filtering for venous thromboembolism incidence over an 8-year period using multivariable logistic regression clustered by hospital. .
result
Exposure to long wavelength red light reduced platelet aggregation and activation. RNA-seq analysis showed no significant changes in the transcriptome between mice.red and mousewhite.
However, there were global metabolomic changes in mouse plateletsred compared to mousewhite. Release from activated platelets reduced the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps. mousered Poststroke VT weight and cerebral infarct size were also reduced.
In a subgroup analysis of cataract patients, those with a history of cancer had a lower lifetime risk of venous thromboembolism after implantation of lenses that filter low-wavelength light.
conclusion
Phototherapy may represent a promising approach to thromboprophylaxis by specifically targeting the intersection between innate immune function and coagulation.
