Photobiomodulation with a 660-Nanometer Light-Emitting Diode Promotes Cell Proliferation in Astrocyte Culture

• Published in: Cells (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 10; no. 7; p. 1664
• Main Authors: Yoon, Sung-Ryeong, Hong, Namgue, Lee, Min-Young, Ahn, Jin-Chul
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 02.07.2021; MDPI
• Subjects: Aldehyde dehydrogenase; Alzheimer's disease; Animals; Antibodies; Apoptosis; Apoptosis - genetics; Apoptosis - radiation effects; astrocyte; Astrocytes; Astrocytes - cytology; Astrocytes - metabolism; Astrocytes - radiation effects; Brain - cytology; Brain - metabolism; Brain diseases; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Bromodeoxyuridine; Cell Adhesion - radiation effects; Cell culture; Cell differentiation; Cell Differentiation - radiation effects; Cell growth; Cell migration; Cell Movement - radiation effects; Cell proliferation; Cell Proliferation - radiation effects; Central nervous system; Coculture Techniques; Embryo, Mammalian; Gene Expression - radiation effects; Glial fibrillary acidic protein; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - genetics; Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein - metabolism; Growth factors; Ki-67 Antigen - genetics; Ki-67 Antigen - metabolism; Laboratories; Lasers, Semiconductor; Light; Light emitting diodes; Nestin; Nestin - genetics; Nestin - metabolism; Neural stem cells; Neurons - cytology; Neurons - metabolism; Neurons - radiation effects; Oct-4 protein; Octamer Transcription Factor-3 - genetics; Octamer Transcription Factor-3 - metabolism; Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors - genetics; Oxidoreductases Acting on CH-NH Group Donors - metabolism; Penicillin; photobiomodulation; Primary Cell Culture; primary culture; proliferation; Protein expression; Proteins; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reactive oxygen species; Reactive Oxygen Species - agonists; Reactive Oxygen Species - metabolism; Stem cells; Transcription factors; United States > US; Japan; photobiomodulation; proliferation; primary culture; astrocyte
• ISSN: 2073-4409; 2073-4409
• DOI: 10.3390/cells10071664

Astrocytes act as neural stem cells (NSCs) that have the potential to self-renew and differentiate into other neuronal cells. The protein expression of these astrocytes depends on the stage of differentiation, showing sequential expression of multiple proteins such as octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (Oct4), nestin, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member L1 (aldh1L1). Photobiomodulation (PBM) affects cell apoptosis, proliferation, migration, and adhesion. We hypothesized that astrocyte proliferation and differentiation would be modulated by PBM. We used an optimized astrocyte culture method and a 660-nanometer light-emitting diode (LED) to enhance the biological actions of many kinds of cells. We determined that the 660-nanometer LED promoted the biological actions of cultured astrocytes by increasing the reactive oxygen species levels. The overall viability of the cultured cells, which included various cells other than astrocytes, did not change after LED exposure; however, astrocyte-specific proliferation was observed by the increased co-expression of GFAP and bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU)/Ki67. Furthermore, the 660-nanometer LED provides evidence of differentiation, as shown by the decreased Oct4 and GFAP co-expression and increased nestin and aldh1L1 expression. These results demonstrate that a 660-nanometer LED can modify astrocyte proliferation, which suggests the efficacy of the therapeutic application of LED in various pathological states of the central nervous system.