Pulsed Light Irradiation Improves Behavioral Outcome in a Rat Model of Chronic Mild Stress

Background and Objective Transcranial laser therapy (TLT) has been used successfully for the treatment of stroke in animal models and clinical trials. These results support the hypothesis that TLT could be used to treat other central nervous system conditions, such as depression. Current therapy for...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Lasers in surgery and medicine 2012-03, Vol.44 (3), p.227-232
Main Authors: Wu, Xingjia, Alberico, Stephanie L., Moges, Helina, De Taboada, Luis, Tedford, Clark E., Anders, Juanita J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
810 nm wavelength light
Animals
Antidepressive Agents, Second-Generation - therapeutic use
Behavioral Symptoms - classification
Behavioral Symptoms - therapy
Chronic Disease
Exercise Test
fluoxetine
Fluoxetine - therapeutic use
forced swimming test
Male
Phototherapy - methods
Random Allocation
Rats
Rats, Wistar
Stress, Psychological - therapy
Swimming
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Summary:Background and Objective Transcranial laser therapy (TLT) has been used successfully for the treatment of stroke in animal models and clinical trials. These results support the hypothesis that TLT could be used to treat other central nervous system conditions, such as depression. Current therapy for depression emphasizes pharmaco‐therapeutics. However, these interventions often cause unwanted side effects. Here, TLT as a treatment for depression was studied in a rat model of chronic mild stress (CMS). Study Design/Material and Methods Wistar rats were randomized into four experimental groups (n = 8): (1) No‐stress; (2) stress without treatment (Stress); (3) stress treated with an antidepressant (Drug); and (4) stress treated with TLT (TLT). The rats in the stress groups were exposed sequentially to a variety of mild stressors for 8 weeks. Rats were weighed weekly. After 5 weeks of stressing, the Drug group received a daily injection of fluoxetine (10 mg/kg), and the TLT group was irradiated transcranially 3 times a week (810 nm wavelength laser, 3 mm diameter probe, 350 mW peak power, 100 Hz with 20% duty cycle, 2‐minute treatment time, 120 J/cm2 average energy density on skin surface). After 3 weeks of treatment, a forced swimming test (FST) was performed and recorded for behavioral assessment. Animals were euthanized after 8 weeks of the study. Results The No‐stress group had significantly higher body weight than stress groups from week 5 (P 
ISSN:0196-8092
1096-9101
DOI:10.1002/lsm.22004