Melatonin modulates the action of near infrared radiation on cell adhesion

Abstract: The adhesion of human cervical cancer (HeLa) cells to a glass matrix is evaluated following their irradiation in a suspension with a pulsed near‐infrared (IR) light‐emitting diode (wavelength 820 nm, pulse repetition frequency 10 Hz, irradiation dose 16–120 J/m2) when melatonin (4 × 10−11 to 4 × 10−5 m) is added to cell suspension immediately before or after the irradiation. Also, the dependence of visible‐to‐near‐IR radiation (600–840 nm, 52 J/m2) on cell adhesion (action spectrum) is recorded in absence and presence of melatonin (4 × 10−6 m). It is found that melatonin in pharmacological concentrations (but not in physiological range) inhibited cell adherence. Irradiation of cells before or after melatonin treatment normalizes cell adhesion to control level. Melatonin in pharmacological concentrations eliminates stimulation of cell attachment induced by irradiation. Pre‐treatment (but not post‐treatment) with melatonin in the physiological concentration eliminates cell adhesion stimulation induced by irradiation. Melatonin modifies the light action spectrum significantly in near IR region (760–840 nm only). Thus, the peak at 820–830 nm characteristic for the light action spectrum is fully reduced.