Near Infrared (NIr) Light Increases Expression of a Marker of Mitochondrial Function in the Mouse Vestibular Sensory Epithelium

The overall goal of the following experiment is to investigate the potential neuroprotective impact of near infrared light on mouse vestibular sensory epithelium. This is achieved by a simple, short-term transcranial application of near infrared light to the mice at various developmental stages. As a second step, the bony labyrinths of the treated animals are dissected, allowing isolation of the vestibular sensory epithelium.

Next, the expression of the antioxidant gene of interest is measured by R-T-P-C-R to assess the impact of the treatment on mitochondrial performance. Finally, densitometry is performed to assess the effect of brief near infrared light treatment on the expression of specific antioxidant genes in mice. The main advantage of this near infrared treatment technique is that it is simple and non-invasive, allowing for further downstream physiological, molecular and behavioral analysis post-treatment.