Wunsch A: Skin, Eye and Brain

HUMAN LIGHT RESPONSE VIA SKIN, EYE AND BRAIN

Wunsch, Alexander
International Light Association, Belgium

hypothalamic pituitary axis (HPA) (8). While

ABSTRACT
the production of the pituitary hormones is
Ultraviolet light from sunlight unfolds a increased, the production of melatonin in the
variety of different photophysical and pineal gland is suppressed and vice versa.
photochemical activities in human skin, The pituitary gland functions are mainly
which are controlled and reacted upon by associated with day and summer tasks, the
two photoendocrinologically active pineal gland rules over night and winter.
antagonistic organs in the brain, namely the Dermal phototransduction leads to local
pituitary and pineal gland, under the control stress reactions in the skin tissue under the
of the eye. mediation of the same hormonal
There are also two organs for light components, except TSH and GnRH. The
reception, namely skin and eye. These action spectrum for dermal light stress is well
systems have been attuned by the course of known since the groundbreaking research of
evolution under the frequent influence of Niels Ryberg Finsen, the father of modern
sunlight. Human genes only know how to phototherapy and winner of the Nobel prize
react upon bright light with the spectral for medicine in 1903 (3). It is associated with
composition of sunlight. Understanding this the photochemical potential of ultraviolet
heliotropic logic behind the coordination radiation in the UVA and UVB range and
processes between skin, visual and leads to a number of photochemical
energetic portion of the retina and reactions. Most of these reactions are
photoendocrine regulation in the brain is destructive photo-oxidations which concern
essential for creating a reliable concept of nearly all pituitary hormones and other
healthy artificial lighting. biomolecules with chromophoric groups,
while only one reaction is a photosynthesis,
Keywords: Photoendocrinology, pituitary and namely the production of the hormone
pineal gland antagonism, photochemical light Calcitriol or so called Vitamin D (12).
reactions, stress.
Recent discoveries have unveiled the
1. INTRODUCTION action spectrum of the optical radiation
which seems to be most effective in inducing
Bright light is, amongst other environmental the endocrine reaction in the HPA which is
stimuli, a major releasing factor for stress located in the short wave segment of the
reactions (5, 6, 12). Darkness for humans is visible spectrum with a sensitivity peak of
a stimulus for regeneration reactions and around 460 nm. But not only the wavelength
sleep. The circadian stress hormone or color temperature of the visible radiation,
concentrations and the melatonin curve but also the light intensity seems to be
show clear variations depending on light, important for photoendocrine efficiency.
acting as an antagonistic system controlled
by pituitary and pineal gland. Without light Even if science today discovers that
entering the eye an involution of the pituitary different wavelengths in the visible range of
gland can be observed after a while (7). the spectrum show different reactions in
humans, under the evolutionary viewpoint
Ocular phototransduction under bright this is not a new piece of information.
lighting conditions leads to systemic stress Finsen, over 100 years ago, described a
reactions (12) with increased production of photodermatic reaction showing a spectral
CRH (Corticotropin Releasing Hormone), opponency in a number of simple organisms
POMC (ProOpioMelanoCortin), ACTH like salamanders or earthworms which
(AdrenoCorticoTrophic Hormone) and other always follow the same logic. Regarding the
pituitary hormones like TSH (Thyroid reactions after photic stimulation, blue and
Stimulating Hormone) and Gonadotropic violet light is associated with bright light and
Releasing Hormone (GnRH) through the red light is associated with darkness (3).

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Wunsch A: Skin, Eye and Brain

2. SUNLIGHT REACTIONS stream and induces water retention in the

kidneys. For the control of the inflammatory
Natural sunlight has a given spectral skin reactions, the cortisol is liberated
composition which is altered by together with the adrenaline. These
environmental factors, seasons and local controlling mechanisms seem to be so
climate conditions. The spectral components essential that the liberation of the stress
in the UV range underlie the most significant hormones is not only provided by the HPA,
variations depending on these altering but there are also accessory stress hormone
factors and show also the highest releasing systems located in the hair follicles
photochemical potential and activity in the in the skin as well, which have been recently
body. This particular range of radiation can discovered (13).
only enter the skin but not the eye. The
ocular lens provides filtering properties which A second reason for compensatory
make sure that the delicate retinal structures stimulation of pituitary secretion activity
are protected from this aggressive part of the under bright light conditions is the
optical spectrum. Nevertheless the body circumstance that there is a hormonal drain
needs orientation regarding the or loss caused by the UV radiation which
environmental UV concentration to enters the skin. All of these hormonal
coordinate dermal and systemic stress substances are photosensitive (2) because
reactions and hormone production. The they carry chromophoric groups in their
reason for this informational demand lies in molecular structure which lead to an
the significance of the UV reactions in the absorption of photon energy in the UV range.
skin: 20 minutes under sunlight can lead to a The photon energy destroys or deactivates
production of 25 000 international units of these molecules as a consequence of
Vitamin D, but also, depending on individual absorption. As the hormone levels are
conditions, to a severe erythema and controlled by feedback loops, the destruction
inflammatory skin reaction. Vasoactive of certain amounts of these hormones in the
substances are liberated in the capillary skin leads to an increased production in the
layers of the skin which lead to a dermal endocrine organs.
pooling effect by widening the vessels.
These light reactions described above
Dermal pooling is a shift of blood and have been essential for survival under the
liquid from inside the body into the different climatic and lighting conditions on
vascularised and outer layers of the skin. earth. Under the pressure of evolution it has
Under extreme conditions, the skin can take finally turned out that survival has been
more than 60% of the whole blood easier for those organisms which could
contingent of the body (1). If a normal somehow foresee the content of UV in the
individual has about 5 liters of blood, this environment and thereby anticipate the
equates to an amount of more than 3 liters. adequate pituitary activity needed for
This seems to be a very high amount, but hormonal balance. In natural sunlight a high
can be better understood if one knows, that amount of UV is always accompanied by
the skin is one of the largest organs “in” the high levels of brightness and, what’s even
body with a mass of about 12 kg (without more significant, a high content of blue
subcutaneous fat layers). Massive dermal radiation. While UV is invisible, blue can be
pooling can lead to a lethal condition of detected by the eye and thus can be used as
circulatory shock reaction if not sufficiently a parameter for indirect extrapolative
counteracted, even the loss of 1 liter of blood measurement of ultraviolet radiation.
can be rather harmful. This dermal pooling
This system seems to be ingenious, but it
effect has been used therapeutically since
only works under natural sunlight conditions.
the 1920s to treat high blood pressure.
As soon as there is artificial fluorescent light
The systemic stress reaction is capable involved, the system begins to malfunction:
of counteracting excessive dermal pooling the bright artificial light with high color
effects, because the catecholamines temperature triggers adaptive endocrine
constrict the vessels, raise the blood stress reactions against high environmental
pressure and increase the heart activity. In UV radiation which does not exist. This
addition, a hormone of the posterior lobe of induces a hormonal imbalance which can be
the pituitary gland, ADH (AntiDiuretic detrimental for health, especially under long
Hormone) is directly released into the blood term conditions.

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Wunsch A: Skin, Eye and Brain

3. ARTIFICIAL LIGHT AND HEALTH lipoprotein and cholesterol metabolism.

Another 30% develop deadly forms of
Reviewing the recent publications cancer, which are mostly hormone
concerning healthy light, a focus upon dependent/sensitive and also the result of a
circadian effectiveness and melatonin can malfunctioning immune system.
be noticed. It mostly appears as if this Catecholamines, gonadotropic hormones,
circadian or chronobiological effectiveness is steroids and hormones of the thyroid gland
used as a quality label for healthy lighting. are the major influences in this field and they
The equation circadian effective = healthy are all hormones under pituitary control (4).
has to be thoroughly examined. This kind of The development of these diseases is
artificial light can be used for therapeutical certainly the result of multiple factors, so it
purposes in treating SAD and other circadian will be difficult to prove the role of artificial
disorders. It can also be used in helping shift lighting for this outcome, but the findings in
workers to cope with their unhealthy working photoendocrinology indicate at least a
conditions. But these examples give no proof promoting effect of circadian effective light
that this light is healthy, it only shows a sources.
certain therapeutic potential. For the largest
part of a population it might be healthier to
4. CIRCADIAN LIGHTING AND VISION
use chronobiologically and endocrinologically
neutral light sources in order not to interfere The human eye has two pathways for the
with their individual endocrine regulation processing of light signals. The optical part is
systems. responsible for vision processes while the
energetic pathway controls the HPA via the
For photometrical purposes and
retino-hypothalamic tract. For vision
simplified reflections on the functions of the
purposes it is better if the surrounding light
circadian system it might be practical to look
does not contain high amounts of blue and
only at the suppression of the hormone of
violet wavelengths. The higher refraction for
darkness (melatonin) in terms of a marker
short wavelengths which occurs in optical
substance for endocrine reagibility, but this
media appears also in the eye. This causes
approach only touches the surface of a
a chromatic aberration effect with negative
highly complex system: human
consequences for sharp vision. The different
endocrinology. From the medical viewpoint,
wavelengths focus on different planes in and
it seems to be more important to look at the
around the focus plane of the retina. Due to
increased secretion of pituitary hormones.
photooxidative effects (9, 11), the blue and
The Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) is a very
violet radiation also promotes chemical
interesting candidate for further investigation,
reactions in the optical media of the eye and
because it is a multi – purpose peptide which
in the fovea centralis. We find a number of
shows the link between light influence and
mechanisms in the eye which provide better
systemic stress, even on the molecular and
vision on one hand and less photooxidative
genetic level. It is the precursor molecule for
stress and damage on the other, in order to
ACTH (which controls the secretion of
reduce the negative effects of blue light on
catecholamines and cortisol), α-MSH and β-
vision. First the number of blue receptors is
Endorphin. If the body needs ACTH, this
up to 20 times less compared to the number
always comes along with α-MSH and β-
of red cones in the fovea centralis (10).
Endorphin. In the central nervous system β-
Secondly there is a concentration of lutein, a
Endorphin reduces pain, in the periphery it
yellow pigment which filters out excrecent
acts as an immune modulator. Α-MSH is the
portions of blue and shows also antioxidative
melanocyte stimulating hormone which
properties. The concentration of this
stimulates pigmentation (sic!), but it also
protection substance is reduced in the eyes
increases the heart rate, the concentration of
of elderly people. Ophthalmologists have
lipoproteins in the blood and stimulates the
discovered that there is some evidence that
activity of the thyroid gland. All these
the age related reduction of lutein is
hormones are deeply involved in the
functionally compensated by the increased
development of civilization’s diseases. In
blur in the lens, which is also promoted by
industrialized societies about 50% of the
blue and ultraviolet light. As a consequence
population die from cardio-vascular diseases
they replace the lens in cataract surgery by a
(CVD) which are the consequence of high
colored one, which filters out the blue
blood pressure and a disturbance in the
portions in order to protect the macula from

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Wunsch A: Skin, Eye and Brain

further degeneration. This shows that even 3 FINSEN NR. Ueber die Bedeutung der
the structures of the eye wear out, chemischen Strahlen des Lichts für Medicin
depending on age and the amount of light und Biologie. Leipzig: Vogel, 1899.
which has to be processed during a person’s
4 HARBUZ MS et al. Hypothalamo-pituitary-
lifetime. The question is, is it only the
adrenal axis and chronic immune activation.
sunlight which is responsible for the
Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 992, 99-106, 2003.
increasing incidence of age related macular
degeneration, which is found in 30% of the 5 HOLLWICH F. The Influence of Ocular
population over 70 years of age in Light Perception on Metabolism in Man and
industrialized nations? These people stay Animal. New York: Springer 1979
90% of their time inside buildings while
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has to be taken into account as well. We Hormongehaltes der Hypophyse mit dem
indeed find that there is a large number of Wechsel von Licht und Dunkelheit. Klin.
light sources in our environment which Wschr. 14, 1713, 1935b.
produce high amounts of photooxidative 7 MARX H. Hypophysäre Insuffizienz bei
potent light, such as mercury vapor lamps Lichtmangel. Klin. Wschr. 24/25, 18-21,
with high color temperature and TFT 1946.
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8 MILLER DB et al. Neuroendocrine aspects
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5. CONCLUSION 10, 2002.
Epidemiologic data show that the incidence 9 OMATA, Y et al. Intra- and extracellular
for civilization related health problems like reactive oxygen species generated by blue
cardio-vascular diseases, cancer, immune light. J. Biomed. Mater. Res. A, 77A, 3,
deficiency, osteoporosis and age related 470-477, 2006.
macular degeneration is rising. All these
disorders are photochemically and 10 REA, M et al. A model of
endocrinologically related to the influence of phototransduction by the human circadian
light (12). Artificial light has become the system. Brain Res Rev 50, 213-228, 2005.
major photonic influence in modern 11 ROTENBERG, S et al. Extracellular
societies. The tendency in artificial lighting is environment as one mediator of blue light –
the ubiquitous use of mercury vapor light induced mitochondrial suppression. Dent.
sources with high color temperature. This Mat. 22, 8, 759-764, 2005.
parameter indicates high portions of
photochemically and chronobiologically 12 SILBERNAGL, S et al. Taschenatlas der
active radiation in the spectrum, which is Physiologie. Stuttgart : Thieme, 2001
also hindering sharp vision. From the
13 SLOMINSKI, A et al. Differential
medical viewpoint the question arises as to
Expression of a Cutaneous Corticotropin-
whether the use of mercury vapor light has a
Releasing Hormone System. Endocrinology
promoting effect on a number of these
145(2), 941-950, 2004.
diseases of civilization. In terms of
prevention of hormonal disorder and
improvement of vision in healthy individuals,
Author:
it may be better to use artificial light sources Alexander Wunsch
with a low content of blue and low color Physician
temperature and go for alternatives to the Bergheimer Strasse 116
mercury vapor light sources. 69115 Heidelberg
Germany
Phone: +49-6221-602344
REFERENCES Fax: +49-6221-161596
e-mail: ila@alexanderwunsch.de
1 BRAUCHLE A. Handbuch der info@international-light-association.org
Naturheilkunde. Leipzig: Reclam 1935.
2 DANNENBERG, H. Ueber die
Ultraviolettabsorption der Steroide. Berlin: de
Gruyter, 1940.