AIM: To investigate the effect of low intensity white light irradiation on the retinas of mice.

METHODS: Thirty C57BL/6J mice were randomly divided into two groups. The number of the mice in each group was 15. The mice in experimental group received dark adaptation from 5:00p.m. to 6:00p.m.,and then exposed to LED white light from 6:00p.m. to 7:00p.m. everyday for a month. At 1, 3, 7, 14 and 30d after the beginning, we examed the histology of mice retinas, calculated the thickness of outer nuclear layer(ONL),inner nuclear layer(INL)and analyzed electrophysiology of mice.

RESULTS:One month after experiment, compared to the control group, the latency of Rod-R a wave of the mice in experimental group significantly prolonged, the amplitude of Cone-R b wave of the mice in experimental group significantly decreased and the latency of b wave of the mice in experimental group significantly prolonged(P<0.05).There are no significant difference in the histology of retina, ONL and INL thicknesses.

CONCLUSION: 100lux low intensity white light could give rise to the impairment of the retinal functions in dark-adapted mice.