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Dim light at night exacerbates stroke outcome
Author(s) -
Weil Zachary M.,
Fonken Laura K.,
Walker William H.,
Bumgarner Jacob R.,
Liu Jennifer A.,
MelendezFernandez O. Hecmarie,
Zhang Ning,
DeVries A. Courtney,
Nelson Randy J.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/ejn.14915
Subject(s) - stroke (engine) , circadian rhythm , lesion , medicine , endogeny , light pollution , rhythm , melatonin , physiology , chronobiology , surgery , mechanical engineering , physics , optics , engineering
Circadian rhythms are endogenous biological cycles that synchronize physiology and behaviour to promote optimal function. These ~24‐hr internal rhythms are set to precisely 24 hr daily by exposure to the sun. However, the prevalence of night‐time lighting has the potential to dysregulate these biological functions. Hospital patients may be particularly vulnerable to the consequences of light at night because of their compromised physiological state. A mouse model of stroke (middle cerebral artery occlusion; MCAO) was used to test the hypothesis that exposure to dim light at night impairs responses to a major insult. Stroke lesion size was substantially larger among animals housed in dLAN after reperfusion than animals maintained in dark nights. Mice housed in dLAN for three days after the stroke displayed increased post‐stroke anxiety‐like behaviour. Overall, dLAN amplified pro‐inflammatory pathways in the CNS, which may have exacerbated neuronal damage. Our results suggest that exposure to LAN is detrimental to stroke recovery.