Dim light at night impairs recovery from global cerebral ischemia

Mice exposed to dim light at night (5 lx) experienced higher mortality following cardiac arrest compared to those in complete darkness (0 lx).

• Surviving mice exposed to dim light at night showed significantly greater neuronal damage after cardiac arrest.
• Exposure to dim light at night may increase neuronal damage by enhancing pro-inflammatory responses in the central nervous system.
• Elevated levels of microglia activation and pro-inflammatory cytokines were observed in mice exposed to dim light at night post-cardiac arrest.
• Selective inhibition of inflammatory markers IL-1β or TNFα reduced damage in mice exposed to dim light at night.
• Using a specific wavelength of nighttime light that minimally affects the circadian clock could mitigate the negative effects of light at night.

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