Long-term effects of photobiomodulation therapy on blood pressure in obese rats induced by a high-fat diet.

The main cardiovascular disease risk associated with obesity is hypertension. The therapeutic use of photobiomodulation therapy (PBM) is suggested for the treatment of wound healing, osteoarthritis, and arterial diseases. However, few studies have measured how red laser (at 660 nm) acts over hypertension, and any of those studies used experimental obesity model. The aim of the study was an attempt to evaluate the long-term effect of PBM on systolic blood pressure in an animal model of obesity, induced by a high-fat diet (HFD). Our results indicate that PBM carried out 3 days a week was able to prevent the increase in blood pressure (133.75 ± 4.82 mmHg, n = 8) induced by a high-fat diet (150.00 ± 4.57 mmHg, n = 8; p < 0.05), restore nitric oxide levels (control: 31.7 ± 5.5 µM, n = 8; HFD + PBM: 29.9 ± 3.7 µM, n = 8 > HFD: 22.2 ± 2.9 µM, n = 8, p < 0.05), decrease lipoperoxidation (control: 1.65 ± 0.25 nM, n = 8; HFD + PBM: 2.05 ± 0.55 nM, n = 8 < HFD: 3.20 ± 0.47 nM, n = 8; p < 0.05), and improve endothelial function (pD2 control: 7.39 ± 0.08, n = 8 > pD2 HFD + PBM: 7.15 ± 0.07, n = 8 > HFD: 6.94 ± 0.07, n = 8; p < 0.05). Our results indicate that PBM prevents the elevation of blood pressure in an obese animal model by a mechanism that involves improvement of endothelial function through an antioxidant effect.

Efficacy of photobiomodulation in the treatment of oral mucositis in patients undergoing antineoplastic therapy: systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effectiveness of photobiomodulation in the treatment of oral mucositis. METHODS: Systematic review and meta-analysis encompassing in the electronic databases: LILACS, MEDLINE, EMBASE, COCHRANE, SCOPUS, WEB OF SCIENCE, and CINAHL and in http://clinicaltrials.gov . Eligibility criteria were randomized, non-randomized, and observational studies that used photobiomodulation for the treatment of oral mucositis. The endpoints were reduction in the severity of oral mucositis, duration of lesions, and pain reduction. For data analysis, the Review Manager 5.4 program was used. RESULTS: A total of 316 studies were identified, 297 in the electronic databases and 19 in http://clinicaltrials.gov . After removing duplicates, 260 studies were selected for title and abstract reading, of which 223 were excluded. A total of 37 studies were chosen for full reading, of which 6 were included in the review, totaling 299 patients. The treatment used was photobiomodulation. The patients were divided into two groups: the laser group used only photobiomodulation or associated with other therapies, and the control group did not use photobiomodulation. For the endpoint reduction in the severity of oral mucositis (OM), the chance of reduction of the OM was greater in the laser group as compared to the control group. For the endpoints duration of OM lesions and pain reduction, it was not possible to carry out a meta-analysis due to the high heterogeneity between studies. In the interpretation of the meta-analysis, the reduction in the severity of oral mucositis was greater in the group that received photobiomodulation. CONCLUSION: Photobiomodulation was effective in the treatment of oral mucositis.

Photobiomodulation and bacterial cellulose membrane in the treatment of third-degree burns in rats.

Burns are injuries caused mainly by thermal trauma, which can progress to unsatisfactory results healing. This study aimed to evaluate the biomaterial (bacterial cellulose membrane) and photobiomodulation, exclusively and associated, in the treatment of third degree burns in rats. Forty male Wistar rats (±280 g) were randomly divided into four groups, with 10 animals each: control group (CG); bacterial cellulose membrane group (MG); laser group (LG) and bacterial cellulose membrane and laser group (MG + L). The burn was caused with a 1 cm2 aluminum plate heated to 150 °C and pressed on the animal's back for 10 s. The treatments were started immediately after induction of injury. For to laser irradiation (660 nm, 100 mW, 25 J/cm2 and energy of 1 J) on five distinct application points were used, on alternate days, a total of five sessions. After ten days of treatment the animals were euthanized for collected samples. One-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests (P < 0.05) were used. Histological analysis revealed differences regarding the healing process phase in each experimental group. MG showed the proliferative phase. The LG demonstrated greater amount of blood vessels and immune expression of VEGF. However, when the treatments were combined, the number of vessels and the immune expression of VEGF factor was lower than LG. Thus, it was concluded that both treatments proposed (biomaterial and LLLT) are good alternatives for third degree burns when applied isolated because they stimulate the healing process by acting on the modulation of the inflammatory phase and promote stimulation of angiogenesis.

Comparative effects of two different doses of low-level laser therapy on wound healing third-degree burns in rats.

Burns are injuries caused by direct or indirect contact to chemical, physical, or biological agents. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is a promising treatment since it is low-cost, non-invasive, and induces cell proliferation. This study aimed to investigate the effects of LLLT (660 nm) at two different fluences (12.5 J/cm(2) and 25 J/cm(2) ) per point of application on third-degree burns in rats. Thirty rats (Wistar) divided into GC, GL12.5, and GL25 were used in the study, and submitted to burn injury through a soldering iron at 150°C, pressed on their back for 10 s. LLLT was applied immediately, and 2, 4, 6, and 8 days after wound induction. Histological analysis revealed a decreased inflammatory infiltrate in the group treated with 25 J/cm(2) , and intense inflammatory infiltrate in the control group and in the group treated with 12.5 J/cm(2) . The immunostaining of COX-2 was more intense in the control groups and in the group treated with 12.5 J/cm(2) than in the group treated with 25 J/cm(2) . Conversely, VEGF immunomarking was more expressive in the group treated with 25 J/cm(2) than it was in the other two groups. Therefore, our findings suggest that the use of 25 J/cm(2) and 1 J of energy was more effective in stimulating the cellular processes involved in tissue repair on third-degree burns in rats by reducing the inflammatory phase, and stimulating angiogenesis, thus restoring the local microcirculation which is essential for cell migration.

Hydroxyapatite bioactivated bacterial cellulose promotes osteoblast growth and the formation of bone nodules.

The goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility of bacterial cellulose (BC) scaffold to support osteoblast growth and bone formation. BC was produced by culturing Acetobacter xylinum supplemented with hydroxyapatite (HA) to form BC membranes (without HA) and BC/HA membranes. Membranes were subjected to X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis to determine surface element composition. The membranes were further used to evaluate osteoblast growth, alkaline phosphatase activity and bone nodule formation. BC was free of calcium and phosphate. However, XPS analysis revealed the presence of both calcium (10%) and phosphate (10%) at the surface of the BC/HA membrane. Osteoblast culture showed that BC alone was non-toxic and could sustain osteoblast adhesion. Furthermore, osteoblast adhesion and growth were significantly (p ≤0.05) increased on BC/HA membranes as compared to BC alone. Both BC and BC/HA membranes improved osteoconductivity, as confirmed by the level of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity that increased from 2.5 mM with BC alone to 5.3 mM with BC/HA. BC/HA membranes also showed greater nodule formation and mineralization than the BC membrane alone. This was confirmed by Alizarin red staining (ARS) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). This work demonstrates that both BC and BC/HA may be useful in bone tissue engineering.

Low-level laser therapy on the treatment of oral and cutaneous pemphigus vulgaris: case report.

Pemphigus vulgaris is a chronic autoimmune mucocutaneous disease that initially is manifested by painful intraoral erosions and ulcers which spread to other mucosa and the skin, generally more than 5 months after oral lesion manifestation. The treatment consists of prednisone alone or in combination with an immunosuppressive agent, and the clinical response is perceived within 2 to 4 weeks. Low-level laser therapy has been effective in accelerating the healing of injured tissue, thus inducing cell proliferation and increasing ATP, nucleic acid, and collagen synthesis. We reported two cases of pemphigus vulgaris that received systemic treatment associated with low-level laser therapy for oral and cutaneous lesions. We observed prompt analgesic effect in oral lesions and accelerated healing of oral and cutaneous wounds. Therefore, the present report suggests LLLT as a noninvasive technique that should be considered as an adjuvant therapy in oral and skin disorders in patients with PV.

Low-level laser therapy for the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa: a case report.

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare group of diseases characterized by skin fragility. There is no specific treatment, short of protection from trauma, currently available for these patients. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) was effective as an analgesic and in accelerating cutaneous wound healing after six sessions of therapy in a child with dystrophic EB with cutaneous scarring and blisters on the limbs and trunk.