Ultraviolet-A irradiation to the eye modulates intestinal mucosal functions and properties of mast cells in the mouse.

We previously reported that topical irradiation of the eye by ultraviolet-B (UVB) activated hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA-A) of the mouse to increase 3, 4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA)-positive melanocytes in the skin by an inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS)-dependent mechanism. This work demonstrates that irradiation of the eye by ultraviolet-A (UVA) specifically increased DOPA-positive cells in the mucosa of the jejunum and colon of C57BL/6J mice by some HPA- and iNOS-independent mechanism. UVA-induced increase in DOPA-positive cells in the intestine was inhibited by the administration of hexamethonium or prazosin plus propranolol, blockers for the sympathetic nervous system. UVA irradiation of the eye increased DOPA- and histidine decarboxylase (HDC)-positive cells in the intestinal mucosa of both C57BL/6J and WBB6F1/J mice but not in the mutant strain W/Wv of the latter that lack mast cells. UVA irradiation of the eye suppressed the intestinal peristalsis of control, hypophysectomized or iNOS(-/-) C57BL/6J mice by the mechanism that was inhibited by hexamethonium or prazosin plus propranolol. These observations suggest that UVA irradiation of the eye stimulated the sympathetic nervous system to increase the mucosal DOPA- and HDC-positive mast cells and suppressed the peristalsis of the small intestine of the mouse.