Mitochondrial Signaling in Mammalian Cells Activated by Red and Near‐IR Radiation
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review of bench and cellular mechanisms with no human clinical data.
OpenAlex W2095731667 · doi:10.1111/j.1751-1097.2008.00394.x
What was done
This narrative review summarizes experimental literature evaluating whether visible red and near-infrared (IR-A) radiation activates mitochondrial retrograde signaling pathways (communication between the mitochondrial respiratory chain and the nucleus) in mammalian cells, focusing on cytochrome c oxidase as the primary photoacceptor.
What was found
No quantitative findings or numbers are reported in the abstract. The review reports that red and near-IR radiation modulates elements of mitochondrial retrograde signaling, including mitochondrial membrane potential (DeltaPsi(m)), reactive oxygen species (ROS), Ca(2+), NO, intracellular pH (pH(i)), and mitochondrial fission-fusion homeostasis, with cytochrome c oxidase acting as a photoacceptor, signal generator, and transducer.
Why it matters
The paper outlines the cellular and biochemical mechanisms underlying photobiomodulation, explaining how light absorption at the mitochondrial level translates into downstream cellular signaling cascades.
Limits
The abstract describes a narrative review of mechanistic and in vitro bench studies with no primary human data or quantitative effect sizes. Details regarding specific wavelengths, light dosages, or experimental contexts are omitted from the abstract.
Cited by
- supports Russian researcher Tiina Karu was the first to propose and demonstrate that long-wavelength light positively affects mitochondrial function.