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Induction of primitive pigment cell differentiation by visible light (helium–neon laser): a photoacceptor-specific response not replicable by UVB irradiation

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Abstract

Solar lights encompass ultraviolet (UV), visible, and infrared spectrum. Most previous studies focused on the harmful UV effects, and the biologic effects of lights at other spectrums remained unclear. Recently, lights at visible region have been used for regenerative purposes. Using the process of vitiligo repigmentation as a research model, we focused on elucidating the pro-differentiation effects induced by visible light. We first showed that helium–neon (He–Ne) laser (632.8 nm) irradiation stimulated differentiation of primitive pigment cells, an effect not replicable by UVB treatment even at high and damaging doses. In addition, significant increases of mitochondrial DNA copy number and the regulatory genes for mitochondrial biogenesis were induced by He–Ne laser irradiation. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that He–Ne laser initiated mitochondrial retrograde signaling via a Ca2+-dependent cascade. The impact on cytochrome c oxidase within the mitochondria is responsible for the efficacy of He–Ne laser in promoting melanoblast differentiation. Taken together, we propose that visible lights from the sun provide important environmental cues for the relatively quiescent stem or primitive cells to differentiate. In addition, our results also indicate that visible light may be used for regenerative medical purposes involving stem cells.

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Conflict of interest

The authors state no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, College of Medicine, and Center of Excellence for Environmental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Cheng-Che E. Lan, Yi-Chun Shen, Tzu-Ying Chiang & Hsin-Su Yu

  2. Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Municipal Ta-Tung Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Cheng-Che E. Lan

  3. Institutes of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, National Yang-Ming University, No. 155, Sec. 2, Li-Nong St., Taipei, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Shi-Bei Wu & Yau-Huei Wei

  4. Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, College of Health Science, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Ching-Shuang Wu

  5. Department of Medicine, Mackay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Yau-Huei Wei

  6. Department of Dermatology, Kaohsiung Medical University, 100 Shih-Chuan 1st Rd, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Republic of China

    Hsin-Su Yu

Authors
  1. Cheng-Che E. Lan
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  2. Shi-Bei Wu
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  3. Ching-Shuang Wu
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  4. Yi-Chun Shen
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  5. Tzu-Ying Chiang
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  6. Yau-Huei Wei
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  7. Hsin-Su Yu
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Yau-Huei Wei or Hsin-Su Yu.

Additional information

CC E. Lan and SB Wu contributed equally to this work.

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Lan, CC.E., Wu, SB., Wu, CS. et al. Induction of primitive pigment cell differentiation by visible light (helium–neon laser): a photoacceptor-specific response not replicable by UVB irradiation. J Mol Med 90, 321–330 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-011-0822-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00109-011-0822-7

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