The Journal of Practical Medicine >

2025 , Vol. 41 >Issue 23: 3666 - 3675

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2025.23.006

Basic Research

Microglia mediate neuroinflammation and immune cell recruitment in blue light‑damaged retina

  • Bin SUN ,
  • Ni LI ,
  • Lin YAN ,
  • Qizhao WANG ,
  • Min ZHANG ,
  • Yuehan YANG ,
  • Huan. QIN
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  • Institute of Visual Neuroscience and Stem Cell Engineering，Wuhan University of Science and Technology，Wuhan 430065，Hubei，China

Received date: 2025-08-12

  Online published: 2025-12-18

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Abstract

Objective To investigate the mechanism by which blue light irradiation-activated microglia mediate immune cell recruitment and exacerbate retinal damage， and to explore the role of microglial depletion in inhibiting immune infiltration and protecting the retina. Methods SPF-grade C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into control group， blue light irradiation group， and PLX5622 pretreatment blue light irradiation group. A retinal injury model was established by continuous LED blue light irradiation for 2 days. In the PLX5622 pretreatment group， microglia were specifically depleted before blue light irradiation. After modeling， HE staining and OCT examination were used to examine retinal histomorphological changes； ERG examination was performed to evaluate retinal function； DHE staining and RT-qPCR were used to detect oxidative stress and inflammatory responses， and Iba1， CD68， CD11b immunofluorescence staining and flow cytometry were used to analyze microglial activation status and immune cell infiltration. Results After blue light irradiation， the retinal outer nuclear layer thickness was significantly reduced； ERG a-wave and b-wave amplitudes decreased； expression of oxidative stress-related genes Nrf2， Sod2， and HO-1 was upregulated； expression of inflammatory factors IL-1β， TNF-α， and ICAM-1 increased； the number of Iba1-positive microglia increased and migrated extensively to the outer nuclear layer； the proportion of CD68+ cells and CD11b+ immune cells was elevated； and activated microglia aggregated around blood vessels to mediate immune cell infiltration. After PLX5622 pretreatment to deplete microglia， immune cell infiltration was significantly reduced； inflammatory responses were alleviated； retinal structural damage was markedly improved， and visual function was protected. Conclusions Blue light irradiation activates microglia and promotes their migration to the injury area. Activated microglia mediate immune cell recruitment and infiltration， exacerbating retinal inflammatory damage. Microglial depletion can effectively inhibit immune infiltration， rescue retinal structure and function， and provide new therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of blue light-related ocular diseases.

Key words： blue light exposure; microglia; neuroinflammation; immune cell recruitment; retinal damage

Cite this article

Bin SUN , Ni LI , Lin YAN , Qizhao WANG , Min ZHANG , Yuehan YANG , Huan. QIN . Microglia mediate neuroinflammation and immune cell recruitment in blue light‑damaged retina[J]. The Journal of Practical Medicine, 2025 , 41(23) : 3666 -3675 . DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2025.23.006

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