Search

The disorganization of natural biorhythms in the modern world is mostly attributed to the violation of circadian rhythms due to light pollution. Urbanization is directly interconnected with an excess of artificial lighting. As a one-time phenomenon, light pollution leads to a reversible shift in circadian rhythms, but in the case of constant influence, it leads to the development of desynchronosis. It is known that light pollution contributes to the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, primary biliary cirrhosis, and metabolic disorders. The study aimed to investigate the changes in micro-morphometric parameters and ultrastructure of hepatocytes of Wistar rats under the influence of normal lighting and constant lighting exposure. This study was conducted on 120 outbred stock male Wistar rats at an age of 6 months, with a body weight of 350 g. The rats were divided into 2 equal groups. The control group included 60 rats, kept in standard laboratory conditions under a normal cyclical «light-dark» lighting regime (10:14, 10 hours of light – from 8:00 to 18:00, 14 hours of darkness – from 18:00 to 8:00) within 3 weeks. The experimental group included 60 rats kept in standard laboratory conditions under constant lighting within 3 weeks. To obtain the results, histological, micro morphometric methods and transmission electronic microscopy were used. The revealed changes of the hepatocytes under the influence of constant lighting indicate that a violation of the illumination regime is a potent factor causing damage and structural changes in the liver. Understanding the mechanisms underlying the liver's response to circadian rhythm disruption and associated damage is important to form patient-specific recommendations on lifestyle and behavioral regimens.