Muscle healing improved by low-level laser therapy

BRAZIL. Scientists at Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense evaluated the effect of laser on the mitochondrial respiratory chain after traumatic muscular injury on rats. Results showed that LLLT significantly increased the activities of complexes I, II, III, IV and succinate dehydrogenase suggesting that laser may induce an increase in mitochondrial ATP synthesis and accelerate the muscle healing process.

J Photochem Photobiol B. 2009 Jan 21

Evaluation of mitochondrial respiratory chain activity in muscle healing by low-level laser therapy.

Silveira PC, Silva LA, Fraga DB, Freitas TP, Streck EL, Pinho R.

Laboratório de Fisiologia e Bioquímica do Exercício, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, 88806-000 Criciúma, SC, Brazil.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies demonstrate that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) modulates many biochemical processes, especially the decrease of muscle injures, the increase in mitochondrial respiration and ATP synthesis for accelerating the healing process. OBJECTIVE: In this work, we evaluated mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I, II, III and IV and succinate dehydrogenase activities after traumatic muscular injury. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups (n=6): sham (uninjured muscle), muscle injury without treatment, muscle injury with LLLT (AsGa) 5J/cm(2). Gastrocnemius injury was induced by a single blunt-impact trauma. LLLT was used 2, 12, 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours after muscle-trauma. RESULTS: Our results showed that the activities of complex II and succinate dehydrogenase after 5days of muscular lesion were significantly increased when compared to the control group. Moreover, our results showed that LLLT significantly increased the activities of complexes I, II, III, IV and succinate dehydrogenase, when compared to the group of injured muscle without treatment. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that the treatment with low-level laser may induce an increase in ATP synthesis, and that this may accelerate the muscle healing process.

PMID: 19232497

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?Db=pubmed&Cmd=DetailsSearch&Term=19232497[uid]