Blue light impairs cornea and corneal wound healing by downregulating VCAM1 partly

This study aimed to investigate the effects of long-term pollution from different wavelengths of light on the corneal epithelium (CE) and identify potential biomarkers. Rabbits were exposed to red, green, blue, white, and environmental light for 6 weeks. The CE was assessed using various techniques such as fluorescein sodium staining, transcriptome sequencing, electron microscopy, and molecular assays. In human corneal epithelial cells (hCECs), the downregulation of vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM1) in response to blue light (BL) pollution was observed. This downregulation of VCAM1 inhibited migration, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and apoptosis, and inhibited the AKT/p70 S6 kinase cascade in hCECs. Animal experiments confirmed that BL pollution caused similar effects on the rabbit cornea, including increased ROS production, apoptosis, delayed wound healing, and decreased VCAM1 expression. Overall, BL-induced VCAM1 downregulation may impair CE and wound healing and promote ROS and apoptosis in vitro and in vivo. [Display omitted] •Blue light impairs cornea and delays corneal epithelial wound healing•Blue light downregulates VCAM1 in corneal epithelial cells in vivo and in vitro•Blue light inhibits VCAM1 to promote apoptosis and ROS in corneal epithelial cells•Blue light inhibits VCAM1 to decrease AKT and migration in corneal epithelial cells Molecular biology; Neuroscience