Macrophage responsiveness to light therapy

Macrophages are a source of many important mediators of wound repair. It was the purpose of this study to see if light could stimulate the release of these mediators. In this study an established macrophage-like cell line (U-937) was used. The cells were exposed in culture to the following wavelengths of light: 660 nm, 820 nm, 870 nm, and 880 nm. The 820-nm source was coherent and polarised, and the others were non-coherent. Twelve hours after exposure the macrophage supernatant was removed and placed on 3T3 fibroblast cultures. Fibroblast proliferation was assessed over a 5-day period. The results showed that 660-nm, 820-nm, and 870-nm wavelengths encouraged the macrophages to release factors that stimulated fibroblast proliferation above the control levels, whereas the 880-nm wavelength either inhibited the release of these factors or encouraged the release of some inhibitory factors of fibroblast proliferation. These results suggest that light at certain wavelengths may be a useful therapeutic agent by providing a means of either stimulating or inhibiting fibroblast proliferation where necessary. At certain wavelengths coherence is not essential.