Renata Luri Toma

Comparative effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and low-level laser therapy on injured skeletal muscle.

OBJECTIVE The main purpose of this study was to compare the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (US) and low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on injured skeletal muscle after cryolesion by means of histopathological analysis and immunohistochemistry for cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2). BACKGROUND AND METHODS Thirty-five male Wistar rats were randomly distributed into four groups: intact control group with uninjured and untreated animals; injured control group with muscle injury and no treatment; LLLT-treated group with muscle injury treated with 830-nm laser; and US-treated group with muscle injury treated with US. Treatments started 24 h postsurgery and were performed during six sessions. RESULTS LLLT-treated animals presented minor degenerative changes of muscle tissue. Exposure to US reduced tissue injuries induced by cryolesion, but less effectively than LLLT. A large number of COX-2 positive cells were found in untreated injured rats, whereas COX-2 immunoexpression was lower in both LLLT- and US-treated groups. CONCLUSION This study revealed that both LLLT and US therapies have positive effects on muscle metabolism after an injury in rats, but LLLT seems to produce a better response.

Effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on injured skeletal muscle

BACKGROUND Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been shown to stimulate tissue metabolism and accelerate muscle healing. However, the optimal parameters in the use of LIPUS are still not clear. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of LIPUS on muscle healing in rats subjected to a cryolesion. METHOD Twenty rats were divided into the following groups: an injured control group (CG) and an injured treated group (TG). Both groups were divided into 2 sub-groups (n=5 each) that were sacrificed 7 and 13 days post-surgery. Treatments were started 24 hours after the surgical procedure and consisted of 3 or 6 sessions. After euthanasia, the muscles were submitted to standard histological procedures. RESULTS Qualitative analyses were based on morphological assessments of the muscle. The histopathological analysis on day 7 revealed that the muscles in the CG and the TG presented an intense inflammatory infiltrate, a large necrotic area and a disorganized tissue structure. After 13 days, both the CG and the TG had granulation tissue and newly formed fibers. The TG presented a more organized tissue structure. The quantitative analysis of collagen indicated similar findings among the groups, although the qualitative analysis revealed a better organization of collagen fibers in the TG at 13 days. The immunohistochemical analysis indicated that, at both time points, the expression of cyclooxygenase-2 was upregulated in the TG compared to the CG. CONCLUSIONS LIPUS used as a treatment for muscle injury induced a more organized tissue structure at the site of the injury and stimulated the expression of COX-2 and the formation of new muscle fibers.

Low-level laser therapy, at 60 J/cm2 associated with a Biosilicate® increase in bone deposition and indentation biomechanical properties of callus in osteopenic rats

We investigate the effects of a novel bioactive material (Biosilicate(®)) and low-level laser therapy (LLLT), at 60 J/cm(2), on bone-fracture consolidation in osteoporotic rats. Forty female Wistar rats are submitted to the ovariectomy, to induce osteopenia. Eight weeks after the ovariectomy, the animals are randomly divided into four groups, with 10 animals each: bone defect control group; bone defect filled with Biosilicate group; bone defect irradiated with laser at 60 J/cm(2) group; bone defect filled with Biosilicate and irradiated with LLLT, at 60 J/cm(2) group. Laser irradiation is initiated immediately after surgery and performed every 48 h for 14 days. Histopathological analysis points out that bone defects are predominantly filled with the biomaterial in specimens treated with Biosilicate. In the 60-J/cm(2) laser plus Biosilicate group, the biomaterial fills all bone defects, which also contained woven bone and granulation tissue. Also, the biomechanical properties are increased in the animals treated with Biosilicate associated to lasertherapy. Our results indicate that laser therapy improves bone repair process in contact with Biosilicate as a result of increasing bone formation as well as indentation biomechanical properties.

The effects of low level laser therapy on injured skeletal muscle

The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) used in two different fluencies on injured skeletal muscle after cryolesion by means of histopathological analysis and immunohistochemistry for COX-2. A total of sixty male Wistar rats were randomly distributed into three groups: injured animals without any treatment; 808 nm laser treated group, at 10 J/cm² and 808 nm laser treated group, at 50 J/cm². Each group was divided into two different subgroups (n=10) on days 6 and 13 post-injury. The results showed that the animals irradiated with laser at 10 J/cm² or 50 J/cm² presented the areas with cell infiltrate and pointed out to minor and mild areas with destroyed zones compared with the control group. Also, a COX-2 downregulation was noticed in the groups exposed to laser at two fluences evaluated in this study. Significant statistically differences (p<0.05) were noticed to collagen deposition in the laser treated animals, with the fluence of 50 J/cm2 when compared to the other groups on day 13 post-surgery. Taken together, these results suggested that laser therapy could have positive effects on muscle repair in the rats after cryolesion.

Effects of photobiomodulation therapy (pulsed LASER 904 nm) on muscle oxygenation and performance in exercise-induced skeletal muscle fatigue in young women: a pilot study

Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMt) has been used to increase muscle performance and improve recovery when applied before exercise. We aimed to evaluate the effects of PBMt using LASER on muscle oxygenation and performance. The study was a randomized, participant and assessor-blinded, within-subject crossover trial with placebo control to test the viability of the methods. Five physically active young women were randomly assigned to either placebo, or active PBMt (12 diode cluster probe; 904 nm; 60 mW; 250 Hz; 43.2 J per site, 129.6 J total) in contact over rectus femoris (RF) muscle of the dominant limb immediately before an isokinetic fatigue protocol. A one-week wash-out period preceded cross-over. Electromyography and isokinetic performance measures were evaluated. Absolute concentrations of deoxygenated haemoglobin and myoglobin (deoxy[Hb + Mb]) of the RF, an index of local microvascular fractional O2 extraction, was monitored continuously by near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Total haemoglobin concentration as an indicator of microvascular haematocrit was calculated as the sum of the deoxy[Hb + Mb] and oxy[Hb + Mb] signals. PBMt pre-conditioning reduced time to peak torque when compared to placebo (P<0.05). PBMt resulted in a noticeably reduced trend in deoxy[Hb + Mb] during exercise compared to placebo (P>0.05). PBMt before exercise improves indicators of muscle performance, potentially by increasing local matching of bulk and microvascular O2 delivery relative to skeletal muscle O2 utilisation. Further work is required to understand the effect of PBMt on haemodynamic and metabolic characteristics of muscle.

Comparative study of the effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound and low-level laser therapy on injured muscle repair

Muscle tissue is one of the most frequently affected by injury, whether during sports activities, or work activities. In this context, biochemical and biophysical resources have been studied to minimize the time of muscle regeneration. Among these, low intensity pulsed ultrasound (US) and low level laser therapy (LLLT) may be highlighted. Despite a series of evidences about the positive effects of these resources in the process of tissue regeneration, the cellular and morphological changes triggered by LLLT and U.S. are still largely unknown. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of US and LLLT on muscle repair after cryolesion by means of histopathological analysis and immunohistochemistry for COX-2. A total of thirty five male Wistar rats were randomly distributed into 4 groups: intact control group; injured control group: muscle injured animals without any treatment; laser treated group: muscle injured animals treated with 830 nm laser and ultra-sound treated group: muscle injured animals treated with US. The treatments started 24 hours post-surgery and were performed during 6 sessions. The animals exposed to lasertherapy pointed out minor degenerative changes of muscle tissue. In the same way, exposure to ultrasound was able to reduce tissue injuries induced by cryolesion, but less intense than laser therapy. Strong COX-2 positive cells were found in rats submitted to cryolesion only, whereas COX-2 immunoexpression was lower in laser treated or ultrasound treated groups. In summary, this study reveals that both lasertherapy and ultrasound have positive effects on muscle repair in rats.