Abstract
We investigated the effect of a Multiwave Locked System laser (with a simultaneous 808 nm continuous emission and 905 nm pulse emission) on the spinal cord after spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. The functional recovery was measured by locomotor tests (BBB, Beam walking, MotoRater) and a sensitivity test (Plantar test). The locomotor tests showed a significant improvement of the locomotor functions of the rats after laser treatment from the first week following lesioning, compared to the controls. The laser treatment significantly diminished thermal hyperalgesia after SCI as measured by the Plantar test. The atrophy of the soleus muscle was reduced in the laser treated rats. The histopathological investigation showed a positive effect of the laser therapy on white and gray matter sparing. Our data suggests an upregulation of M2 macrophages in laser treated animals by the increasing number of double labeled CD68+/CD206+ cells in the cranial and central parts of the lesion, compared to the control animals. A shift in microglial/macrophage polarization was confirmed by gene expression analysis by significant mRNA downregulation of Cd86 (marker of inflammatory M1), and non-significant upregulation of Arg1 (marker of M2). These results demonstrated that the combination of 808 nm and 905 nm wavelength light is a promising non-invasive therapy for improving functional recovery and tissue sparing after SCI.
Highlights
Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating condition with tremendous life-long consequences predominantly affecting young men
Other studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of neural tissue regeneration by decreasing edema, preserving the tissue, influencing the chemical mediators involved in inflammation, and promoting functional recovery[33,36,37]
Soleus muscle mass, microglia/macrophage polarization and histopathological and molecular changes of the spinal cord after the compression of SCI
Summary
Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is a debilitating condition with tremendous life-long consequences predominantly affecting young men. The primary injury causes an immediate disruption to the cells and tissues, which is followed by a secondary cascade including neuronal apoptosis, glial cells activation, and inflammation. Macrophages have a wide spectrum of different functions including promoting inflammation, phagocytosis, stimulating cell proliferation and releasing anti-inflammatory cytokines[3]. Their phenotype is influenced by the environment; many substances and/or surrounding cells can stimulate them[4]. The initial primary injury causes a mechanical disruption to the spinal cord vascular system, which results in vasoconstriction followed by hypoperfusion, ischemia, hemorrhage and edema[9,10,11]. Other studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of neural tissue regeneration by decreasing edema, preserving the tissue, influencing the chemical mediators involved in inflammation, and promoting functional recovery[33,36,37]
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