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Effects of low-level laser therapy on joint pain, synovitis, anabolic, and catabolic factors in a progressive osteoarthritis rabbit model

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) on short-term and long-term joint pain, synovitis, anabolic, and catabolic factors in the cartilage of a rabbit model with progressive osteoarthritis (OA) induced by anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT). A total of 160 New Zealand white rabbits were randomly assigned into two groups (ACLT group and LLLT group). All rabbits received ACLT surgery, and 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-week treatment after the surgery, with 20 rabbits being tested biweekly over every study period. The LLLT group received LLLT with a helium–neon (He–Ne) laser (830 nm) of 1.5 J/cm2 three times per week, and the ACLT group received placebo LLLT with the equipment switched off. Long-term and short-term pain was tested via weight-bearing asymmetry; synovitis was assessed histologically; and knee joint cartilage was evaluated by gross morphology, histology, and gene expression analysis of anabolic and catabolic factors. The histological assessment of pain and synovitis showed that at least 6-week intermittent irradiation of LLLT could relief knee pain and control synovium inflammation. Gross morphologic inspection and histological evaluation showed that 6 weeks of LLLT could decrease cartilage damage of medical femoral condyle and 8 weeks of LLLT could decrease cartilage damage of medical and lateral femoral condyles and medical tibial plateau. Gene expression analysis revealed two results: At least 6 weeks of LLLT could decrease production of catabolic factors, for example, interleukin 1β (IL-1β), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and MMP-3, and slow down the loss of anabolic factors, mainly TIMP-1. Eight weeks of LLLT treatment could slow down the loss of collagen II, aggrecan, and anabolic factors, mainly transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β). The study suggests that LLLT plays a protective role against cartilage degradation and synovitis in rabbits with progressive OA by virtue of the regulation of catabolic and anabolic factors in the cartilage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rehabilitation Medicine Center of West China Hospital, Sichuan University, ChengDu, People’s Republic of China

    Pu Wang, Chuan Liu, Xiaotian Yang, Yujing Zhou, Xiaofei Wei, Qiaodan Ji, Lin Yang & Chengqi He

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  1. Pu Wang
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  2. Chuan Liu
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  3. Xiaotian Yang
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Correspondence to Chengqi He.

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Wang, P., Liu, C., Yang, X. et al. Effects of low-level laser therapy on joint pain, synovitis, anabolic, and catabolic factors in a progressive osteoarthritis rabbit model. Lasers Med Sci 29, 1875–1885 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-014-1600-x

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