The Korean Journal of Pain

The Korean Pain Society (대한통증학회)
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Low level laser therapy alleviates mechanical allodynia in a postoperative and neuropathic pain model and alters the levels of inflammatory factors in rats

  • Xuehao Han (Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School) ;
  • Kyeong-cheol Jang (Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital) ;
  • Woong Mo Kim (Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School) ;
  • Hyung Gon Lee (Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Chonnam National University Medical School)
  • Received : 2024.05.02
  • Accepted : 2024.09.04
  • Published : 2024.10.01
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Abstract

Background: This study aimed to investigate the analgesic and preventive effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on the incisional pain model and spinal nerve ligation (SNL) model in rats and identify the possible mechanisms of action. Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used, divided into different treatment groups. The single application group received LLLT before or after skin incision or SNL. The consecutive application group received LLLT for six consecutive days post-incision, three days pre-incision, or three consecutive days pre-SNL. The control group underwent skin incision or SNL without LLLT. The von Frey test was used to quantify the pain associated with mechanical allodynia. Pro-inflammatory cytokine level and alterations in nerve growth factor (NGF) expression were measured by using ELISA and immunohistochemistry, respectively in the skin, muscle of the paw, and spinal cord dorsal horn (SCDH). Results: In the incisional pain model, LLLT showed significant analgesic and preventive effect. LLLT ameliorated SNL-induced mechanical allodynia but LLLT had no preventive effect. LLLT decreased interleukin-1β (IL-1β) expression levels in the skin, muscle, and SCDH and reduced the optical density of skin and spinal cord NGF in the incisional pain model. Conclusions: LLLT alleviated incisional pain and neuropathic pain caused by SNL in rats, and reduced the levels of IL-1β and NGF in the peripheral tissue and SCDH in the incisional pain model. LLLT might be effective in patients with post-operative pain and peripheral neuropathic pain.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the [Starting growth Technological R&D Program] (S2962695) funded by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS, Korea).

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