Effects of bright artificial light on monoamines and neuropeptides in eight different brain regions compared in a pigmented and nonpigmented rat strain

Seasonal affective disorder is a form of depression which recurs at the same time of the year. Exposure to bright artificial light at a dose of 2,500 lux is used to treat seasonal affective disorders. We exposed a pigmented (Brown Norway) and a nonpigmented (Sprague‐Dawley) rat strain with bright artificial light for 21 days at two doses (2,500 and 6,100 lux) and analyzed dopamine, dihydroxyphenyl‐acetic acid, 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT), and 5‐hydroxyindole‐acetic acid (5‐HIAA) by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and electrochemical detection in eight different brain regions. Furthermore, we measured tissue levels of substance P (SP), neurokinins (NK), vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), calcitonin gene‐related peptide (CGRP), and neuropeptide Y (NPY) with radioimmunoassay. Our data obtained with light microscopy show that bright artificial light at both doses induced a massive destruction of photoreceptors in the retina of albino rats but not of the pigmented rat strain. Retinal lesion of photoreceptors resulted in increased tissue levels of all measured neuropeptides except SP in the hypothalamus and increased VIP in the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra. Furthermore, increased 5‐HT and 5‐HIAA tissue levels were found in the ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra. In contrast, in the frontal cortex there was a significant reduction in 5‐HIAA tissue levels and a decreased 5‐HIAA/5‐HT ratio, indicating decreased 5‐HT metabolism. Light exposure of the pigmented rat strain revealed no changes in the measured biogenic amines and neuropeptides in any investigated brain region. Our data suggest that retinal lesion but not direct visual neurotransmission induced changes in neurotransmitters in some brain regions. We conclude that Brown Norway rats but not Sprague‐Dawley rats are useful to study neurochemical effects of bright artificial light. However, Sprague‐Dawley rats may be a useful tool to study biochemical mechanisms of photoreceptor damage by bright light. © 1992 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.