Page 92 - Veterinary Laser Therapy in Small Animal Practice

78 Veterinary Laser Therapy in Small Animal Practice

or with a transabdominal approach. Wait, wait, I’m not if what has been achieved in experimental models
suggesting you cut your patient open to perform LT!! can be reproduced in patients, but clinical studies are
necessary.
7.9.1 Transabdominal treatments
• The ability of LT to enhance liver regeneration after
The list of potential applications includes conditions partial hepatectomy: in a rat model, after removing
such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), cystitis, and 70% of the liver, the group that received LT showed
pancreatitis. But the evidence to encourage this does not a 2.6-fold increase in the number of proliferating
come from clinical studies; it is based on experimental cells and a 3.3-fold increase in the number of newly
models, clinical cases, and clinicians’ experiences. formed vessels. [247] Mitochondrial activity and
Reaching the middle of the abdominal cavity is prob- serum alanine aminotransferase were also increased
ably not mandatory; some organs, such as the urinary in another study. [248] In contrast, in a similar hepa-
bladder, are just “behind” the muscle wall, and even tectomy model carried out in elderly rats, LT was
closer lies the peritoneum, which plays a central role not able to improve liver regeneration. [249]
in paracrine abdominal inflammation regulation – you • The protective effect of LT in models of ischemia-
have probably noticed how different degrees of peri- reperfusion injury of the liver, applied transcutane-
tonitis can be seen when an intra-abdominal organ ously: LT seems to decrease both histopathological
is inflamed. An experiment in mice with lipopoly- changes and serum levels of biochemical markers
saccharide-induced peritonitis described how LT at such as aminotransferase, TNF-α, malondialde-
a point “over the peritoneum” was able to reduce the hyde, and glutathione. [250]
inflammatory infiltrate. [239] If the patient tolerates being • Transcutaneous LT over several points of the liver
treated in contact, a gentle massage can really improve ameliorated induced cirrhosis in a rat model: it
penetration. The coat is usually less dense here, and improved liver function, decreased formation of
clipping is also better accepted than on the thorax, for cirrhotic areas and inflammation, inhibited the
instance. induction of hepatic stellate and Kupffer cell accu-
Reports of the effect of LT on pancreatic tissue come mulation, and restored liver protein synthesis. [251]
from experimental studies, but represent examples of • The protective effect of LT against oxidative stress
potential uses that could be developed in the future. in a rat model of acute and chronic diabetes: it did
An in vitro study with pancreatic islets treated showed help for acute cases, but not for the chronic ones.
laser light significantly increased cell function before LT restored normal glutathione reductase and
transplantation (higher insulin secretion after a glucose superoxide dismutase activities and increased glu-
challenge test). [240] A promoting effect of laser on pan- tathione peroxidase and glutathione S-transferase
creatic β-cell replication and cell cycle progression has activities. [244]
also been reported, [241] as well as exocrine function of
this organ in cases of chronic pancreatitis. [242] In exper- The urinary tract is another candidate for LT. As
imental models of induced diabetes, laser enhanced discussed in Chapter 3, several experimental models
antioxidant defense capabilities in the kidney [243] and have reported effects such as decreased inflammatory
the liver [244] of those animals, and improved renal func- and fibrotic response in kidneys and decreased mor-
tion too. phological damage in the glomeruli after different
Some cases of intestinal inflammation can show types of renal insult. [71, 72] Secondary kidney damage
improvement with less common modalities of LT. An due to metabolic syndrome has been investigated; in
experimental model of acute colitis in mice, in which a randomized, placebo-controlled study in rats with
850 nm light was applied endoscopically, reported progressive renal failure induced by a metabolic and
an improvement of colonoscopic scoring at different hypertensive disorder (nephropathy, hypertension,
doses. [245] A clinical study in human patients with gas- hyperlipidemia, and type II diabetes), LT, especially in
2
troduodenal ulcer described shorter times for ulcer the higher dose group, which received 12 J/cm for 5
healing in patients treated with LT than for those in the days a week during 8 consecutive weeks, showed better
control group. [246] preserved glomerular filtration rate (despite no differ-
The liver could be another potential target for LT, ences in plasma creatinine between groups), reduced

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