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Research Article
Spectral and duration sensitivity to light-at-night in ‘blind’ and sighted rodent species
Abed E. Zubidat, Randy J. Nelson, Abraham Haim
Journal of Experimental Biology 2011 214: 3206-3217; doi: 10.1242/jeb.058883
Abed E. Zubidat
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  • For correspondence: zubidat3@013.net
Randy J. Nelson
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Abraham Haim
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SUMMARY

Light-at-night (LAN) has become a defining feature of human and animal ecosystems and may possibly compromise human and animal physiology and health. Spectral and acclimation duration (AD) sensitivity were compared between social voles (Microtus socialis) and ‘blind’ mole rats (Spalax ehrenbergi) in four increasing ADs (0, 1, 7 and 21 days) to LAN (1×30 min, 293 μW cm–2) of three different monochromatic lights [blue (479 nm), yellow (586 nm) and red (697 nm)]. Animals were sampled for urine and oxygen consumption (VO2) promptly after each LAN-AD. Urine samples were analyzed for production rate, urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin and urinary metabolites of adrenalin and cortisol. Overall, the blue light elicited the greatest effects on the biological markers of M. socialis, whereas similar effects were detected for S. ehrenbergi in response to red light. The increasing LAN-AD resulted in a dose-dependent decrement of all markers tested, except of stress hormones, which showed a direct positive correlation with LAN-AD. Our results suggest that: (1) photoperiod is an important cue for entraining physiological functions in the ‘blind’ S. ehrenbergi, which is essentially characterized by red-shifted sensitivity compared with the blue-shifted sensitivity detected for the sighted counterpart species, and (2) there is a strong association between LAN of the appropriate wavelength and adrenal endocrine responses, suggesting that LAN is a potential environmental stressor.

FOOTNOTES

  • Supplementary material available online at http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/full/214/19/3206/DC1

  • This study was supported by a grant received by authors from the United States–Israeli Binational Science Foundation.

  • LIST OF SYMBOLS AND ABBREVIATIONS

    6-SMT
    6-sulphatoxymelatonin
    AD
    acclimation duration
    DEE
    daily energy expenditure
    IFPR
    image-forming photoreceptor
    LAN
    light-at-night
    Mb
    body mass
    MEPI
    maximal effective photophase irradiance
    MLT
    melatonin
    mRGC
    melanopsin-containing retinal ganglion cell
    NIFPR
    non-image-forming photoreceptor
    RGC
    retinal ganglion cell
    SCN
    suprachiasmatic nucleus
    SD
    short day
    UMAdr
    urinary metabolite of adrenaline
    UMCort
    urinary metabolite of cortisol
    UPR
    urine production rate
    VO2
    oxygen consumption
    τ
    period
    • © 2011.
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    Research Article
    Spectral and duration sensitivity to light-at-night in ‘blind’ and sighted rodent species
    Abed E. Zubidat, Randy J. Nelson, Abraham Haim
    Journal of Experimental Biology 2011 214: 3206-3217; doi: 10.1242/jeb.058883
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    Research Article
    Spectral and duration sensitivity to light-at-night in ‘blind’ and sighted rodent species
    Abed E. Zubidat, Randy J. Nelson, Abraham Haim
    Journal of Experimental Biology 2011 214: 3206-3217; doi: 10.1242/jeb.058883

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      • SUMMARY
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