He-Ne laser on microcrystalline arthropathies.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this work is to assess the anti-inflammatory capacity of He-Ne laser therapy as determined by the plasmatic levels of inflammatory markers, fibrinogen, and TNFalpha and by histopathological study in rats with arthropathy induced by calcium pyrophosphate crystals.


BACKGROUND
Microcrystalline arthropathies are a group of diseases characterized by the deposit of different crystals in joints.


METHODS
Two milligrams of dicalcium pyrophosphate crystals (DCPP) were injected in both joints of the lower limbs of rats during 2 days. A group was treated with laser of He-Ne (6 mW) on the injected joints during 3 consecutive days. After 96 h of the first injection, animals were sacrificed to determine TNFalpha using the ELISA method and fibrinogen was assessed using spectrophotometry. Sections from the lower limbs were used for histopathology.


RESULTS
A statistically significant increase (p < 0.001) in plasma fibrinogen levels and TNFalpha was noted between the control group and the laser-treated group. The histological transversal section of a posterior limb joint of a rat injected with DCPP showed fibroadipose tissue with diffuse chronic infiltrate. The histopathology of the group of rats injected with DCPP and subsequently treated with He-Ne laser showed no inflammatory response.


CONCLUSIONS
He-Ne laser treatment in the microcrystalline arthropathy induced in rats by DCPP injection might have an antiinflammatory effect, evaluated by fibrinogen plasma levels and TNF-alpha (inflammatory markers) and by the histopathology regressive process.
Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Cátedra de Física Biomédica, Córdoba, República Argentina. campanav@hotmail.com
V
V
Campana
M
M
Moya
A
A
Gavotto
J C
JC
Simes
L
L
Spitale
F
F
Soriano
J A
JA
Palma
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000628:therapy*; D002131:Calcium Pyrophosphate; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005340:Fibrinogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D006371:Helium; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D009356:Neon; D051381:Rats; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D006371:Helium; D009356:Neon; D005340:Fibrinogen; D002131:Calcium Pyrophosphate