Photobiomodulation exerts anti-inflammatory effects on the vascular and cellular phases of experimental inflammatory models

Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) is a non-thermal therapeutic procedure widely used in clinical practice. It is considered an effective modality of treatment for the control of various inflammatory conditions with fewer adverse effects as compared to conventional therapy. However, despite the clinical effects, the mechanisms of action and dosimetric parameters of PBMT are not fully understood. This study was performed to describe the effects of two different doses of PBMT on experimental models of inflammation. Male Swiss mice were administered with 0.9% of saline or phlogistic agents (carrageenan, dextran, serotonin, histamine, or bradykinin) by intra-plantar injection and were treated with PBMT at a dose of 1 or 5 J/cm(2); right after, the variation of the paw volume was made, and histopathological analysis and myeloperoxidase assay of the carrageenan-induced edematous paw tissues were performed. The action of PBMT on carrageenan-induced vascular permeability was further evaluated. Our results showed that PBMT (1 J/cm(2)) led to an improvement in paw edema induced by the phlogistic agents and further reduced the histological scores. Inhibition of neutrophil migration was observed following the administration of 1 and 5 J/cm(2) of PBMT. However, only 1 J/cm(2) of PBMT showed beneficial effects on carrageenan-induced edema. Laser at a dose of 1 J/cm(2) showed cellular and vascular effects since it was able to reverse all the inflammatory parameters, and laser at a dose of 5 J/cm(2) probably has only cellular effects in the presence of acute inflammation.