Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

Aims

Previous studies have shown that ultraviolet light can lead to the release of nitric oxide from the skin and decrease blood pressure. In contrast to visible light the local application of ultraviolet light bears a cancerogenic risk. Here, we investigated whether whole body exposure to visible blue light can also decrease blood pressure and increase endothelial function in healthy subjects.

Methods

In a randomised crossover study, 14 healthy male subjects were exposed on 2 days to monochromatic blue light or blue light with a filter foil (control light) over 30 minutes. We measured blood pressure (primary endpoint), heart rate, forearm vascular resistance, forearm blood flow, endothelial function (flow-mediated dilation), pulse wave velocity and plasma nitric oxide species, nitrite and nitroso compounds (secondary endpoints) during and up to 2 hours after exposure.

Results

Blue light exposure significantly decreased systolic blood pressure and increased heart rate as compared to control. In parallel, blue light significantly increased forearm blood flow, flow-mediated dilation, circulating nitric oxide species and nitroso compounds while it decreased forearm vascular resistance and pulse wave velocity.

Conclusion

Whole body irradiation with visible blue light at real world doses improves blood pressure, endothelial function and arterial stiffness by nitric oxide released from photolabile intracutanous nitric oxide metabolites into circulating blood.

Keywords

Blue light endothelial function blood pressure pulse wave velocity forearm blood flow

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

De Backer

. Epidemiology and prevention of cardiovascular disease: Quo vadis? Eur J Prev Cardiol 2017; 24: 768–772.

Fantin

Comellato

Rossi

et al.

Relationship between neck circumference, insulin resistance and arterial stiffness in overweight and obese subjects. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2017; 24: 1532–1540.

Stampfer

Manson

et al.

Primary prevention of coronary heart disease in women through diet and lifestyle. N Engl J Med 2000; 343: 16–22.

Ferrieres

. The French paradox: lessons for other countries. Heart 2004; 90: 107–111.

Brennan

Greenberg

Miall

et al.

Seasonal variation in arterial blood pressure. BMJ (Clin Res Ed) 1982; 285: 919–923.

Donneyong

Taylor

Kerber

et al.

Is outdoor recreational activity an independent predictor of cardiovascular disease mortality – NHANES III?

Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis 2016; 26: 735–742.

Kloner

Poole

Perritt

. When throughout the year is coronary death most likely to occur? A 12-year population-based analysis of more than 220 000 cases. Circulation 1999; 100: 1630–1634.

Yang

Lof

Veierod

et al.

Ultraviolet exposure and mortality among women in Sweden. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011; 20: 683–690.

Lindqvist

Epstein

Nielsen

et al.

Avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for major causes of death: a competing risk analysis of the Melanoma in Southern Sweden cohort. J Intern Med 2016; 280: 375–387.

10.

Armstrong

Kricker

. The epidemiology of UV induced skin cancer. J Photochem Photobiol B 2001; 63: 8–18.

11.

Roshchupkin

Pelenitsyn

Potapenko

et al.

Study of the effects of ultraviolet light on biomembranes – IV. The effects of oxygen on UV-induced hemolysis and lipid photoperoxidation in rat erythrocytes and liposomes. Photochem Photobiol 1975; 21: 63–69.

12.

Cunningham

Johnson

Giovanazzi

et al.

Photosensitized production of superoxide anion by monochromatic (290–405 nm) ultraviolet irradiation of NADH and NADPH coenzymes. Photochem Photobiol 1985; 42: 125–128.

13.

Peak

. Comparison of initial yields of DNA-to-protein crosslinks and single-strand breaks induced in cultured human cells by far- and near-ultraviolet light, blue light and X-rays. Mutat Res 1991; 246: 187–191.

14.

Paunel

Dejam

Thelen

et al.

Enzyme-independent nitric oxide formation during UVA challenge of human skin: characterization, molecular sources, and mechanisms. Free Rad Biol Med 2005; 38: 606–615.

15.

Oplander

Volkmar

Paunel-Gorgulu

et al.

Whole body UVA irradiation lowers systemic blood pressure by release of nitric oxide from intracutaneous photolabile nitric oxide derivates. Circ Res 2009; 105: 1031–1040.

16.

Krause

Buhring

Hopfenmuller

et al.

Ultraviolet B and blood pressure. Lancet 1998; 352: 709–710.

17.

Geldenhuys

Hart

Endersby

et al.

Ultraviolet radiation suppresses obesity and symptoms of metabolic syndrome independently of vitamin D in mice fed a high-fat diet. Diabetes 2014; 63: 3759–3769.

18.

Muggeridge

Sculthorpe

Grace

et al.

Acute whole body UVA irradiation combined with nitrate ingestion enhances time trial performance in trained cyclists. Nitric Oxide 2015; 48: 3–9.

19.

Liebmann

Born

Kolb-Bachofen

. Blue-light irradiation regulates proliferation and differentiation in human skin cells. J Invest Dermatol 2010; 130: 259–269.

20.

Mittermayr

Osipov

Piskernik

et al.

Blue laser light increases perfusion of a skin flap via release of nitric oxide from hemoglobin. Mol Med 2007; 13: 22–29.

21.

Kim

Choi

Bae

et al.

Short wavelength visible light suppresses innate immunity-related responses by modulating protein S-nitrosylation in keratinocytes. J Invest Dermatol 2016; 136: 727–731.

22.

Oplander

Deck

Volkmar

et al.

Mechanism and biological relevance of blue-light (420–453 nm)-induced nonenzymatic nitric oxide generation from photolabile nitric oxide derivates in human skin in vitro and in vivo. Free Radic Biol Med 2013; 65: 1363–1377.

23.

Heiss

Jahn

Taylor

et al.

Improvement of endothelial function with dietary flavanols is associated with mobilization of circulating angiogenic cells in patients with coronary artery disease. J Am CollCardiol 2010; 56: 218–224.

24.

Rassaf

Preik

Kleinbongard

et al.

Evidence for in vivo transport of bioactive nitric oxide in human plasma. J Clin Invest 2002; 109: 1241–1248.

25.

Lewington

Clarke

Qizilbash

et al.

Prospective Studies Collaboration. Age-specific relevance of usual blood pressure to vascular mortality: a meta-analysis of individual data for one million adults in 61 prospective studies. Lancet 2002; 360: 1903–1913.

26.

The SPRINT Researcg Group Wright

Jr Williamson

et al.

A randomized trial of intensive versus standard blood-pressure control. N Engl J Med 2015; 373: 2103–2116.

27.

Fretheim

Odgaard-Jensen

Brors

et al.

Comparative effectiveness of antihypertensive medication for primary prevention of cardiovascular disease: systematic review and multiple treatments meta-analysis. BMC Med 2012; 10: 33–33.

28.

Turnbull

. Blood Pressure Lowering Treatment Trialists Collaboration. Effects of different blood-pressure-lowering regimens on major cardiovascular events: results of prospectively-designed overviews of randomised trials. Lancet 2003; 362: 1527–1535.

29.

Maiorino

Bellastella

Petrizzo

et al.

Effect of a Mediterranean diet on endothelial progenitor cells and carotid intima-media thickness in type 2 diabetes: follow-up of a randomized trial. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2017; 24: 399–408.

30.

Ras

Streppel

Draijer

et al.

Flow-mediated dilation and cardiovascular risk prediction: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Int J Cardiol 2013; 168: 344–351.

Supplementary Material

Please find the following supplemental material available below.

For Open Access articles published under a Creative Commons License, all supplemental material carries the same license as the article it is associated with.

For non-Open Access articles published, all supplemental material carries a non-exclusive license, and permission requests for re-use of supplemental material or any part of supplemental material shall be sent directly to the copyright owner as specified in the copyright notice associated with the article.

0.00 MB

0.24 MB

Blue light exposure decreases systolic blood pressure,arterial stiffness,and improves endothelial function in humans

Abstract

Aims

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Keywords

Get full access to this article

References

Supplementary Material