The effects of low-intensity laser therapy on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rat model.

Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) is a major mechanism of liver injury following hepatic surgery or transplantation. Despite numerous reports on the role and relics of low-intensity laser therapy (LILT) in many organs, the potential effects of LILT on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion have not been explored. This study was aimed to investigate the impresses of LILT applied to the skin following hepatic ischemia and reperfusion. Thirty-six healthy male Wistar rats were allocated into three groups of twelve animals each as follows: Sham, Ischemia-reperfusion (IR), and Ischemia-reperfusion with laser treatment (IR+LILT). Hepatic ischemia was induced by clamping the arterial and portal venous for 45 min. A laser diode (400 mW, 804 nm) was applied to the skin surface at the anatomical site of the liver at a dose of 3 J/cm(2), and the duration of irradiation was selected 120 s with 15-min interval after beginning the reperfusion. Animals were maintained under anesthesia and sacrificed 6 h subsequent reperfusion. Hepatic samples were evaluated for histological assessment and biochemistry analysis. Serum aminotransferase levels, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) levels, malondialdehyde (MDA), and glutathione (GSH) levels were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in the irradiated group compared to the I/R group during the 6 h after reperfusion. The number of histopathological changes in the hepatic tissues was significantly lower in the treated group (P < 0.05). These observations suggest that LILT applied in transcutaneous manner effectively improves hepatic injuries after ischemia-reperfusion period in rats.