Long light wavelengths improved mitochondrial membrane potential and reduced retinal photoreceptor loss
There is a high density of mitochondria in the retina and with normal ageing there is a decrease in photoreceptors. Research has shown that exposure to light slowed the ageing photoreceptor loss process. In older mice (12 months), there was a decrease in photoreceptor loss in the outer segments (POS) of approximately 15%. In contrast, the control group of mice that did not undergo light therapy experienced an approximately 30% decrease in photoreceptors (rods and cones) in the POS compared to the younger 2-month-old mice.
Light therapy reduced the extent of outer nuclear layer (ONL) retinal thinning in ageing mice
In aged mice (20 months), ONL thickness was reduced by approximately 30% compared to young mice (2 months). However, in older mice from 12 months to 20 months of age that were exposed to 670nm light on a daily basis for 10 minutes, the reduction in ONL thickness was less than 10% compared to young mice. Exposure to long-wavelength light significantly attenuated the age-related reduction in ONL thickness compared with old untreated mice. Research results show that photobiomodulation significantly contributed to reducing the negative effects of ageing on the retina of the eye.
