Right light on the mother's belly may be important to the fetus

Date:
September 20, 2021
Source:
Umea University
Summary:
There may be a link between exposure to light during pregnancy
and fetal brain development. New findings may provide better
understanding of certain neurological diseases later in life.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== There may be a link between exposure to light during pregnancy and fetal
brain development. New findings by researchers at Umeaa University,
Sweden, working in collaboration with American colleagues, may provide
better understanding of certain neurological diseases later in life.


========================================================================== "Ultimately, this discovery may open up possibilities for using the
right kind of light stimulation during pregnancy to reduce the risk of neurological disorders in adulthood," says Professor Lena Gunhaga at
Umeaa Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeaa University.

The research group at Umeaa University, together with researchers in
the group of Professor Richard Lang in Cincinnati, USA, now demonstrate
that a light receptor called Opsin 3 is already expressed in parts of the central and peripheral nervous systems during the early stages of fetal development. The Opsin 3 molecule has a broad but distinct expression that suggests an important role in the formation of various neurons, neural
pathways and areas of the brain and spinal cord. Opsin 3 expression can
be linked to a number of motor and sensory neural pathways that regulate movement, pain, vision and olfaction, as well as memory, mood and emotion.

While the idea that light may affect cells inside the body, even in the
unborn fetus, may seem peculiar, both calculations and experiments have previously shown that light can pass through skin, soft tissue and the
skull to activate photoreceptors.

Opsin 3 detects light in the blue range at a wavelength of approximately
480 nanometres. The Umeaa researchers' discovery of the expression pattern
of this receptor suggests that light plays a vital role in the development
and subsequent function of the brain. This might explain why the risk of certain neurological and psychiatric diseases varies depending on the
seasonal time of birth. So far, this unexplained correlation have been
observed in diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, bipolar disorder, autism, schizophrenia and epilepsy. That said, time
of birth is only one of several risk factors for the diseases in question.

"Although more research is required before we can issue recommendations
about specific light therapies for pregnant women, we are clearly on
an exciting track that may eventually prove highly significant," says
Lena Gunhaga.

While the new findings are based on observations of the brain and nervous system of mice, the function is deemed to be similar in humans. The
researchers continue with more detailed studies of how Opsin 3 affects
the development and function of the brain.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by Umea_University. Original written
by Ola Nilsson. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Wayne I. L. Davies, Soufien Sghari, Brian A. Upton, Christoffer
Nord, Max
Hahn, Ulf Ahlgren, Richard A. Lang, Lena Gunhaga. Distinct Opsin 3
(Opn3) Expression in the Developing Nervous System during Mammalian
Embryogenesis. eneuro, 2021; 8 (5): ENEURO.0141-21.2021 DOI:
10.1523/ ENEURO.0141-21.2021 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210920121749.htm

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