Blue light reduces organ injury from ischemia and reperfusion.

Evidence suggests that light and circadian rhythms profoundly influence the physiologic capacity with which an organism responds to stress. However, the ramifications of light spectrum on the course of critical illness remain to be determined. Here, we show that acute exposure to bright blue spectrum light reduces organ injury by comparison with bright red spectrum or ambient white fluorescent light in two murine models of sterile insult: warm liver ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) and unilateral renal I/R. Exposure to bright blue light before I/R reduced hepatocellular injury and necrosis and reduced acute kidney injury and necrosis. In both models, blue light reduced neutrophil influx, as evidenced by reduced myeloperoxidase (MPO) within each organ, and reduced the release of high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a neutrophil chemotactant and key mediator in the pathogenesis of I/R injury. The protective mechanism appeared to involve an optic pathway and was mediated, in part, by a sympathetic (ß3 adrenergic) pathway that functioned independent of significant alterations in melatonin or corticosterone concentrations to regulate neutrophil recruitment. These data suggest that modifying the spectrum of light may offer therapeutic utility in sterile forms of cellular injury.

Application of red light phototherapy in the treatment of radioactive dermatitis in patients with head and neck cancer.

BACKGROUND: To observe the effect of red light phototherapy (RLPT) on radioactive dermatitis (RD) caused by radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). METHODS: Sixty patients with HNC admitted to our hospital were randomly divided into experimental group and control group, 30 patients in each group. The control group received routine daily care during radiotherapy treatment. In the experimental group, in addition to routine daily care during radiotherapy treatment, photon therapy apparatus RLPT was added, 10 min/time, 2 times/day, and lasted until the end of radiotherapy. The pain and conditions of the patients' skin were assessed daily, and the skin pain and dermatitis grades of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: In terms of the reaction degree of RD, experimental group was mainly grade 0-2, and control group was mainly grade 2-3, with a significant difference (P < 0.05). In terms of skin pain, according to the pain records at week 2, 3, and 4, the pain degree increased with time. However, the score of wound pain in experimental group was significantly lower than that in control group, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The application of RLPT in the treatment of RD can help accelerate wound healing and significantly shorten healing time. It can not only reduce wounds pain of patients, promote inflammation and ulcer healing, but also ensure the smooth progress of patients' radiotherapy and improve their quality of lives, which is worth popularization and application in the clinical practice.

[Contemporary potential of nonmedical treatment in ophthalmology].

The article covers treatment results of 90 patients with primary glaucoma simplex of stage 1 and 2 (137 eyes). The authors proved that using a specified magnetotherapy method, when compared to regular medical therapy, causes more fast and marked regression in clinical symptoms and improvement of vision in patients with primary glaucoma simplex of stages 1 and 2.

[Complex use of naphthalane and nonselective chromotherapy in gonarthrosis treatment in rolling stock workers].

Complex treatment using naphthalane applications with nonselective chromotherapy covered 64 engine operators of locomotive crews, aged 40-69 years, having 1-3 stage knee osteoarthrosis. Findings are that optimized treatment schedules effectively reduce intensity of pain, improve functional state of the joints involved, increase life quality of the patients, have no side effects. Comparative analysis of the treatment results showed that efficiency of combined naphthalane and nonselective chromotherapy exceeds isolated naphthalane effects.

Prospective Randomized Long-Term Study on the Efficacy and Safety of UV-Free Blue Light for Treating Mild Psoriasis Vulgaris.

BACKGROUND: Blue light irradiation reduces the proliferation of keratinocytes and modulates T-cell immune response in vitro and has been shown to reduce the severity of psoriasis vulgaris (Pv) in two clinical trials. OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of safety and efficacy of long-term UV-free blue light treatment at home for mild Pv. METHODS: Forty-seven patients with mild Pv were randomized for receiving high-intensity blue light treatment (HI: 453 nm LED, 200 mW/cm(2), n = 24) and low-intensity treatment (LI: 453 nm LED, 100 mW/cm(2), n = 23) of one Pv plaque for 12 weeks. A contralateral control plaque remained untreated. RESULTS: Patient compliance and satisfaction were high. The primary endpoint, change from baseline (CfB) of the Local Psoriasis Severity Index, revealed a significant improvement of the target compared to the control plaques (ΔCfB for the HI group: -0.92 ± 1.10, p = 0.0005; for the LI group: -0.74 ± 1.18, p = 0.0064). CONCLUSION: UV-free blue light home treatment is safe and improves Pv plaques.

Inference on periodicity of circadian time series.

Estimation of the period length of time-course data from cyclical biological processes, such as those driven by the circadian pacemaker, is crucial for inferring the properties of the biological clock found in many living organisms. We propose a methodology for period estimation based on spectrum resampling (SR) techniques. Simulation studies show that SR is superior and more robust to non-sinusoidal and noisy cycles than a currently used routine based on Fourier approximations. In addition, a simple fit to the oscillations using linear least squares is available, together with a non-parametric test for detecting changes in period length which allows for period estimates with different variances, as frequently encountered in practice. The proposed methods are motivated by and applied to various data examples from chronobiology.

New advances in countercurrent chromatography and centrifugal partition chromatography: focus on coupling strategy.

Countercurrent chromatography (CCC) is an attractive separation method because the analytes are partitioned between two immiscible liquid phases avoiding problems related to solid stationary phase. In recent years, this technique has made great progress in separation power and detection potential. This review describes coupling strategies involving high speed CCC (HSCCC) or centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC). It includes on-line extraction-isolation, hyphenation with mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) detectors, multidimensional CCC (MDCCC), two-dimensional CCC (2D-CCC), on-line coupling with liquid chromatography (LC), and biological tests, and innovative off-line developments. The basic principles of each method are presented and applications are summarized.

[The application of chromo- and laserotherapy for the treatment of the patients presenting with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and concomitant arterial hypertension].

This article gives evidence of the effectiveness of chromo- and laser therapy (using infrared and green wavelenth radiation) in combination with basal pharmacotherapy in the patients presenting with combined pathology. The analysis of the data obtained indicates that the proposed approach makes it possible to accelerate normalization of the clinical characteristics, reduce arterial pressure, improve the parameters of external respiration, and increase the duration of remission periods.

[The experience with the application of selective polarized chromotherapy in the clinical practice].

A series of investigations have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory, bactericidal, analgesic, and vegetocorrective effects of extraocular selective polarized chromotherapy using blue and red light and the possibility to optimize autonomous regulation with the help of this technique. The results of the study confirmed the high clinical effectiveness and safety of the method being considered for the treatment of acute respiratory diseases, chronic tonsillitis, cervical dorsopathies, and vegetative dysfunction.

Utilizing EEG and fNIRS for the detection of sleep-deprivation-induced fatigue and its inhibition using colored light stimulation.

Drowsy driving is a common, but underestimated phenomenon in terms of associated risks as it often results in crashes causing fatalities and serious injuries. It is a challenging task to alert or reduce the driver's drowsy state using non-invasive techniques. In this study, a drowsiness reduction strategy has been developed and analyzed using exposure to different light colors and recording the corresponding electrical and biological brain activities. 31 subjects were examined by dividing them into 2 classes, a control group, and a healthy group. Fourteen EEG and 42 fNIRS channels were used to gather neurological data from two brain regions (prefrontal and visual cortices). Experiments shining 3 different colored lights have been carried out on them at certain times when there is a high probability to get drowsy. The results of this study show that there is a significant increase in HbO of a sleep-deprived participant when he is exposed to blue light. Similarly, the beta band of EEG also showed an increased response. However, the study found that there is no considerable increase in HbO and beta band power in the case of red and green light exposures. In addition to that, values of other physiological signals acquired such as heart rate, eye blinking, and self-reported Karolinska Sleepiness Scale scores validated the findings predicted by the electrical and biological signals. The statistical significance of the signals achieved has been tested using repeated measures ANOVA and t-tests. Correlation scores were also calculated to find the association between the changes in the data signals with the corresponding changes in the alertness level.

[The role of phototherapy in the rehabilitation of newborn babies and infants].

This review is devoted to the problems pertaining to the rational application of phototherapy in the rehabilitation of newborn babies and infants. The analysis of the classical and present-day literature sources provided materials for the development of the rationale for the use of colour-puncture therapy. The data included in this review indicate that phototherapy has positive effect on the immune and rehabilitative processes in the newborns following surgical interventions and in the breast-fed infants suffering hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. Phototherapy is equally beneficial when the newborn babies need to be treated for cutaneous and nervous disorders or undergo a surgical operation. Moreover, it can be applied to manage endocrine disorders and diseases of the vegetative nervous system. The photo-induced changes in the skin influence the concentration of biologically active compounds in the systemic circulation. It is believed that colour-puncture therapy makes it possible to selectively affect biologically active points in the channel-meridian system of the newborn babies and infants.

[The use of phototherapy and photochromotherapy in the combined treatment of the patients presenting with astheno-depressive syndrome and neurotic disorders].

The objective of the present clinical and psychopathological study was to estimate the influence of high-intensity white and yellow phototherapy on the clinical condition of 41 and 18 patients respectively presenting with astheno-depressive syndrome. The control group was comprised of 42 patients who were treated by standard pharmacotherapy. Clinical observations of the patients were supplemented by the evaluation of their conditions and characteristics using the Symptom Checklist-90 questionnaire, the Bekhterev Depression Inventory, and the Beck Depression Inventory. The patients of the three groups were surveyed before and within 20 days after the initiation of the treatment. It was shown that white light phototherapy considerably reduced the severity of asthenia and depression. Yellow light phototherapy proved more efficacious in the patients with asthenia and somatovegetative dysfunctions.

Biochemical properties and in vivo effects of the SOD1 zinc-binding site mutant (H80G).

This study presents the initial characterization of transgenic mice with mutations in a primary zinc-binding residue (H80), either alone or with a G93A mutation. H80G;G93A superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) transgenic mice developed paralysis with motor neuron loss, and ubiquitin inclusion-type rather than mitochondrial vacuolar pathology. Unlike G93A SOD1-related disease, the course was not accelerated by over-expression of copper chaperone for SOD1. H80G SOD1 transgenic mice did not manifest disease at levels of SOD1 transgene expressed. The H80G mutation altered certain biochemical parameters of both human wild-type SOD1 and G93A SOD1. The H80G mutation does not substantially change the age-dependent accumulation of G93A SOD1 aggregates and hydrophobic species in spinal cord. However, both H80G;G93A SOD1 and H80G SOD1 lack dismutase activity, the ability to form homodimers, and co-operativity with copper chaperone for SOD1, indicating that their dimerization interface is abnormal. The H80G mutation also made SOD1 susceptible to protease digestion. The H80G mutation alters the redox properties of SOD1. G93A SOD1 exists in either reduced or oxidized form, whereas H80G;G93A SOD1 and H80G SOD1 exist only in a reduced state. The inability of SOD1 with an H80G mutation to take part in normal oxidation-reduction reactions has important ramifications for disease mechanisms and pathology in vivo.

[On the neurophysiological basis of color-impulse therapy in pathogenic treatment of eye diseases].

Color-impulse therapy (CIT) is one of the accepted treatment options in current ophthalmology. Many publications deal with the effect of CIT on eye diseases, however its pathogenic basis is poorly studied. An attempt to explain CIT effect from the neurophysiological point is made. Survey of number of publications is performed to prove sanogenic effect of CIT on pathogenesis of different pathological eye conditions.

[The influence of photochromotherapy on the injured nerve under experimental conditions (a histological study)].

The objective of the present neurohistological study using an experimental model of compressive-ischemic neuropathy (40 white rats) was to estimate the influence of photochromotherapy on the injured nerve filament. It was shown that light of different wavelengths had differential effect on the nerve tissue. The exposure to blue light reduced the severity of traumatic lesion as apparent from a decrease in the number of filaments undergoing degenerative changes and their enhanced argentophilia. Irradiation with red light caused a marked decrease in the degree of vacuolization with moderate argentophilia suggesting normalization of ion transport and recovery of nerve conductivity. Green light irradiation promoted remyelinization of nerve filaments (a marked increase of the number of Schwann cells).

Solar spectral lines ("solar halo")--healing or harmful for the retina?

The sungazing method has been known for thousands of years as healing method based on chromotherapeutic principle. Our examinations on the island of Rab show that it is acceptable only if applied 10 min before the sunset. Gazing has to be directed towards the green-yellow part of the spectrum, since the remaining part of the sun halo contains harmful energy. However, authors suggest that it would be preferable to use spectacles with medical filters transmitting wavelight of green-yellow colour, especially for treatment of macular degeneration.

Chromotherapy of macular degeneration with transitions lenses and green-yellow medical filters and special programme for psychoorganic disturbances.

Optical spectrum of the sunlight consists of visible or chromatic spectrum, with the range of wavelengths of electromagnetic vibrations from 7700 to 3900 AU, and the invisible spectrum: infrared and ultraviolet. Chromatic spectrum gives rise to the sensation of colour, capable for simulating specialized retinal photoreceptors and is perceptible as light. This rule of perception of the particular range of the optical spectrum goes mainly for man, while particular deviations, more or less, are applicable to the rest of animal and plant life. The optical part of the spectrum belongs to nonionizing radiation. It created the life on the Earth, maintaining it nowadays and even threatening the human organ of vision, because the retina had not been yet adequately accommodated through evolution with its photoreactive metabolism. Human retina is very sensitive about possible harmful influence of ultraviolet and blue light even today in evolution, but also phototoxic on complete strong visible light. In their clinical and experimental work on animals, the authors prove with their own patent (P 20020077A)-Vojnikovic B&D, and in collaboration with Essilor Optic Austria GmbH, that particular medical filters in the range of green-yellow colour especially (565 to 570 nm), and in combination with "Transitions" successfully threat macular degeneration-AMD, slowing down its progression and having positive psychoorganic effect on the depressive mood of such patients with threatened sight. Full attention has been paid to the design of medical filter, so the periphery of the lens plays a positive role in blood concentration of melatonin, while the central part stimulates the sight and the concentration of serotonine. Thus the physiological balance of melatonin and serotonin and the stability of psychophysical disturbances have been achieved.

[Differential application of ophthalmostimulation for the prevention of dysadaptation problems in athletes].

The efficiency of single-pulse ophthalmostimulation (OPS) with the use of photodiodes emitting red, orange, green, and blue light was evaluated in 26 athletes. Results of the study indicate that OPS in the green-blue spectral range may be recommended as a preventive treatment for athletes of the normal- or low-energetic status in the state of activation reaction and disposed to sympatheticotony if they are at risk of developing dysadaptatiive disorders. Ophthalmostimulation by the red light is indicated for athletes of high-energetic status who exhibit training reaction and parasympathetic type of responsiveness.

The mechanistic basis of chromotherapy: Current knowledge and future perspectives.

Chromotherapy is a method of treatment that uses wavelengths in the visible region for curing different diseases and medical conditions. Recent advances in photobiology and the speciality of Photobiomodulation are uncovering the cellular and molecular effects of visible range electromagnetic radiation. We discuss the reported effects of visible range radiation on cells (in vitro and in vivo) and the attempted explanations of the underlying processes with regard to therapeutic effects. Some of the important advances in this area are reviewed, especially the effects of visible light on bacteria, enzymes and the use of visible light for wound healing and treatment of psychiatric diseases for the purpose of explaining the therapeutic implications of chromotherapy. We highlight the correlation of wavelengths used between recently uncovered mechanisms of photobiology and conventional chromotherapy. The elucidation of mechanisms of the cellular and molecular interaction of light will help in deciphering the scientific background of chromotherapy and will help in the application of this alternative therapeutic treatment to many other diseases.

Improved cognitive morning performance in healthy older adults following blue-enriched light exposure on the previous evening.

OBJECTIVES: Exposure to light can have acute alerting and circadian phase-shifting effects. This study investigated the effects of evening exposure to blue-enriched polychromatic white (BEL) vs. polychromatic white light (WL) on sleep inertia dissipation the following morning in older adults. METHODS: Ten healthy older adults (average age = 63.3 yrs; 6F) participated in a 13-day study comprising three baseline days, an initial circadian phase assessment, four days with 2-h evening light exposures, a post light exposure circadian phase assessment and three recovery days. Participants were randomized to either BEL or WL of the same irradiance for the four evening light exposures. On the next mornings at 2, 12, 22 and 32 min after each wake time, the participants completed a 90-s digit-symbol substitution test (DSST) to assess working memory, and objective alertness was assessed using a wake EEG recording. DSST and power density from the wake EEG recordings were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: DSST performance improved with time awake (p < 0.0001) and across study days in both light exposure groups (p < 0.0001). There was no main effect of group, although we observed a significant day x group interaction (p = 0.0004), whereby participants exposed to BEL performed significantly better on the first two mornings after light exposures than participants in WL (post-hoc, p < 0.05). On those days, the BEL group showed higher EEG activity in some of the frequency bins in the sigma and beta range (p < 0.05) on the wake EEG. CONCLUSION: Exposure to blue-enriched white light in the evening significantly improved DSST performance the following morning when compared to polychromatic white light. This was associated with a higher level of objective alertness on the wake EEG, but not with changes in sleep or circadian timing.