Antioxidative and Mitochondrial Protection in Retinal Pigment Epithelium: New Light Source in Action

Low-color-temperature light-emitting diodes (LEDs) (called 1900 K LEDs for short) have the potential to become a healthy light source due to their blue-free property. Our previous research demonstrated that these LEDs posed no harm to retinal cells and even protected the ocular surface. Treatment targeting the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is a promising direction for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Nevertheless, no study has evaluated the protective effects of these LEDs on RPE. Therefore, we used the ARPE-19 cell line and zebrafish to explore the protective effects of 1900 K LEDs. Our results showed that the 1900 K LEDs could increase the cell vitality of ARPE-19 cells at different irradiances, with the most pronounced effect at 10 W/m(2). Moreover, the protective effect increased with time. Pretreatment with 1900 K LEDs could protect the RPE from death after hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) damage by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and mitochondrial damage caused by H2O2. In addition, we preliminarily demonstrated that irradiation with 1900 K LEDs in zebrafish did not cause retinal damage. To sum up, we provide evidence for the protective effects of 1900 K LEDs on the RPE, laying the foundation for future light therapy using these LEDs.

Automated summary

Low-color-temperature LEDs (1900K) have been found to be safe for retinal cells and can protect the ocular surface. In this study, we investigated the protective effects of 1900K LEDs on the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) using ARPE-19 cell line and zebrafish. Our results showed that these LEDs increased cell vitality of ARPE-19 cells and protected RPE from damage caused by hydrogen peroxide. Furthermore, we demonstrated that irradiation with 1900K LEDs did not cause retinal damage in zebrafish. These findings lay the foundation for future light therapy using 1900K LEDs.