High Final Energy of Low-Level Gallium Arsenide Laser Therapy Enhances Skeletal Muscle Recovery without a Positive Effect on Collagen Remodeling.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a Gallium Arsenide (GaAs) laser, using a high final energy of 4.8 J, during muscle regeneration after cryoinjury. Thirty Wistar rats were divided into three groups: Control (C, n = 10); Injured (I, n = 10) and Injured and laser treated (Injured/LLLT, n = 10). The cryoinjury was induced in the central region of the tibialis anterior muscle (TA). The applications of the laser (904 nm, 50 mW average power) were initiated 24 h after injury, at energy density of 69 J cm(-1) for 48 s, for 5 days, to two points of the lesion. Twenty-four hours after the final application, the TA muscle was removed and frozen in liquid nitrogen to assess the general muscle morphology and the gene expression of TNF-α, TGF-β, MyoD, and Myogenin. The Injured/LLLT group presented a higher number of regenerating fibers and fewer degenerating fibers (P < 0.05) without changes in the collagen remodeling. In addition, the Injured/LLLT group presented a significant decrease in the expression of TNF-α and myogenin compared to the injured group (P < 0.05). The results suggest that the GaAs laser, using a high final energy after cryoinjury, promotes muscle recovery without changing the collagen remodeling in the muscle extracellular matrix.