Effects of blue light on eye of zebra fish and protective role of polyphenolic compounds

Purpose: To investigate the oxidative damage and changes of retinas by blue light through zebrafish and to confirm the protective effect of polyphenol on retina cells using grape seed-derived polyphenols. Methods: To induce oxidative damage and changes of the retina by blue light, blue light LED (10,000 Lux, 480 nm) was added to the zebrafish grown in the dark room after pretreating polyphenols derived from grape seed at various concentrations (0, 0.1, 1, 10 μg/mL, respectively) for 4 days. Changes in retinal thickness and numbers of outer nuclear layer nuclei through hematoxylin & eosin staining were evaluated. Results: Photoreceptor layer thickness of blue light exposed group was significantly thinner than the group without blue light (108.1 ± 27.7 μm vs 41.1 ± 17.0 μm). As pretreated polyphenol concentration increased, photoreceptor layer thickness was increased (41.1 ± 17.0, 56.3 ± 18.6, 90.7 ± 23.7, 99.1 ± 23.1 μm, p < 0.05), and damage to outer nuclear layer nuclei was also decreased. Conclusions: Exposure to blue light is an important factor for increasing oxidative stress in the retina. Grape seed-derived polyphenols have been shown to protect photoreceptor cells and retinal pigment epithelial cells from oxidative stress. This suggests that the antioxidant effect of polyphenol compounds may help suppress the progression of retinal diseases associated with oxidative stress such as age-related macular degeneration.