title: Effect of low-level laser therapy in an experimental model of osteoarthritis in rats evaluated through Raman spectroscopy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This work aimed to investigate the biochemical changes associated with low-level laser therapy (LLLT) using 660 and 780 nm, on a well-established experimental model of osteoarthritis (OA) in the knees of rats with induced collagenase, using histomorphometry and Raman spectroscopy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-six Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control (GCON, n=9), collagenase without treatment (GCOL, n=9), collagenase with LLLT 660 nm treatment (G660, n=8), and collagenase with LLLT 780 nm treatment (G780, n=10). LLLT protocol was: 30 mW power output, 10 sec irradiation time, 0.04 cm(2) spot size, 0.3 J energy, 0.75 W/cm(2) irradiance, and 7.5 J/cm(2) fluence per session per day, during 14 days. Then, knees were withdrawn and submitted to histomorphometry and Raman spectroscopy analysis. Principal components analysis (PCA) and Mahalanobis distance were employed to characterize the spectral findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Histomorphometry revealed a significant increase in the amount of collagen III for the group irradiated with 660 nm. The Raman bands at 1247, 1273, and 1453 cm(-1) (from principal component score PC2), attributed to collagen type II, and 1460 cm(-1) (from PC3), attributed to collagen type III, suggested that the LLLT causes acceleration in cellular activity, especially on the cells that repair cartilage, accelerating the breakdown of cartilage destroyed by collagenase and stimulating the fibroblast to synthesize repairing collagen III.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  LLLT accelerated the initial breakdown of cartilage destroyed by collagenase and stimulated the fibroblast to synthesize the repairing collagen III, suggesting a beneficial effect of LLLT on OA.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Physiotherapy, Universidade Federal do Piauí , PI, Brazil .
authors.forename: Nilton Maciel
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Mangueira
authors.forename: Murilo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xavier
authors.forename: Renato Aparecido
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.forename: Miguel Angel Castillo
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Salgado
authors.forename: Landulfo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.forename: Antonio Balbin
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Villaverde
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017364:Collagenases / Q000032:analysis; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D017364:Collagenases