Low level laser therapy in the management of chronic neuropathic pain in sciatic nerve regeneration in rats

• Grant number: 14/24660-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: March 01, 2015
• End date: June 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Anatomy
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Marucia Chacur
• Grantee: Mara Evany de Oliveira Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Laser therapy technique is a noninvasive method which has been shown both in basic research, clinical research to be effective in reducing pain sensitivity and consequently improving the quality of life of patients with neuropathic pain, this, which is characterized several changes of chemical and metabolic mediators. Patients with peripheral neuropathies change with temperature change, or hot abnormally due to a change in local metabolism and neural impulse. Therefore, we decided to employ in our study infrared thermography (IR), which is used as a tool for diagnosis in clinical practice due to their sensitivity to Amendment capitation body temperature, thus allowing the mapping of regions with changes indicating abnormalities . This study aims to examine also the effects of laser application on pain sensitivity and repair of sciatic nerve induced by chronic constrictive injury (CCI) in Wistar rats, using vitro tests, behavioral analysis and likely changes in local temperature using the infrared thermography. As we finish the treatment with LASER and behavioral testing, the animals will be euthanized and tissues as sciatic nerve ganglia and dorsal roots (L4-L6) will be taken for further analysis of substances such as: Protein Zero (P0), Growth Factor neural (NGF), substance P and TRPV1. Our preliminary results indicate an improvement in behavioral tests in the group treated with the laser compared to the injured and untreated group. Still, we can see an increase in immunoreactivity for NGF in the sciatic nerve of the animals submitted to treatment with laser compared to untreated. Based on our results, so far, we can suggest that treatment with low intensity laser (LBI) improves nociception induced by chronic injury sciatic nerve, and induce an improvement in regeneration of the sciatic nerve. However, there are still studies demonstrating the involvement of this technique in the maintenance of this painful syndrome and repair of peripheral nerves. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SILVA, Mara Evany de Oliveira. Low intensity LASER therapy in the control of chronic neuropatic pain and the regeneration of the ischial nerve of rats.. 2019. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI) São Paulo.