Blue-violet light decreases VEGFa production in an in vitro model of AMD.

• Main Authors: Mélanie Marie, Pauline Gondouin, Delphine Pagan, Coralie Barrau, Thierry Villette, José Sahel, Serge Picaud
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2019-01-01
• Series: PLoS ONE
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0223839

Blue light is an identified risk factor for age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), leading to neovascularization, is a major complication of the wet form of this disease. We investigated how blue light affects VEGF expression and secretion using A2E-loaded retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, a cell model of AMD. Incubation of RPE cells with A2E resulted in a significant increase in VEGF mRNA and, intracellular and secreted VEGF protein levels, but not mRNA levels of VEGFR1 or VEGFR2. Blue light exposure of A2E-loaded RPE cells resulted in a decrease in VEGF mRNA and protein levels, but an increase in VEGFR1 levels. The toxicity of 440 nm light on A2E-loaded RPE cells was enhanced by VEGF supplementation. Our results suggest that age-related A2E accumulation may result in VEGF synthesis and release. This synthesis of VEGF, which enhances blue light toxicity for the RPE cells, is itself suppressed by blue light. Anti-VEGF therapy may therefore improve RPE survival in AMD.