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Pre-exercise low-level laser therapy improves performance and levels of oxidative stress markers in mdx mice subjected to muscle fatigue by high-intensity exercise

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Abstract

This study was designed to determine if the levels of oxidative stress markers are influenced by low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in mdx mice subjected to high-intensity exercise training on an electric treadmill. We used 21 C57BL/10ScSn-Dmdmdx/J mice and 7 C57BL/10ScSn mice, all aged 4 weeks. The mice were divided into four groups: a positive control group of normal, wild-type mice (WT); a negative control group of untreated mdx mice; a group of mdx mice that underwent forced high-intensity exercise on a treadmill (mdx fatigue); and another group of mdx mice with the same characteristics that were treated with LLLT at a single point on the gastrocnemius muscle of the hind paw and underwent forced high-intensity exercise on a treadmill. The mdx mice treated with LLLT showed significantly lower levels of creatine kinase (CK) and oxidative stress than mdx mice that underwent forced high-intensity exercise on a treadmill. The activities of the antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase (SOD) were higher in control mdx mice than in WT mice. LLLT also significantly reduced the level of this marker. LLLT had a beneficial effect also on the skeletal muscle performance of mdx mice. However, the single application of LLLT and the dose parameters used in this study were not able to change the morphology of a dystrophic muscle.

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Acknowledgments

Professor Paulo de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho would like to thank the Brazilian Council of Research and Development (CNPq) for the support for this study (process number 472334/2011-5). Professor Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal-Junior would like to thank the Brazilian Council of Research and Development (CNPq) for the support for this study (process number 307717/2014-3).

Conflict of interest

Professor Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal-Junior receives research support from Multi Radiance Medical (Solon, OH, USA), a laser device manufacturer. The remaining authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Postgraduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), Vergueiro 235, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Andreia Aparecida de Oliveira Silva, Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal-Junior, Katia de Angelis Lobo D’Avila, Regiane Albertini, Joen Akemi Nishida & Paulo de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho

  2. Postgraduate Program in Biophotonics Applied to Health Sciences, Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Ernesto Cesar Pinto Leal-Junior, Andrey Jorge Serra, Cristiane Miranda França & Paulo de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho

  3. Postgraduate Program in Medicine, Universidade Nove de Julho (UNINOVE), São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Katia de Angelis Lobo D’Avila

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  1. Andreia Aparecida de Oliveira Silva
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Correspondence to Paulo de Tarso Camillo de Carvalho.

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Silva, A.A.d., Leal-Junior, E.C.P., D’Avila, K.d.L. et al. Pre-exercise low-level laser therapy improves performance and levels of oxidative stress markers in mdx mice subjected to muscle fatigue by high-intensity exercise. Lasers Med Sci 30, 1719–1727 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-015-1777-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-015-1777-7

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