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Updated: Dec 22, 2025
A Protocol for Transcranial Photobiomodulation Therapy in Mice
Published on: November 18, 2018
Transcranial photobiomodulation attenuates pentylenetetrazole-induced status epilepticus in peripubertal rats
Chung-Min Tsai1, Shwu-Fen Chang1, Hsi Chang2,3
1Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.
Insights
Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) reduced seizure severity and mortality in rats. This non-invasive therapy also protected against neuronal injury and preserved critical brain networks following induced seizures.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Convulsive status epilepticus (SE) is a critical pediatric neurological emergency.
- Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) has shown potential in reversing neurotransmitter imbalances post-SE in rodents.
- The efficacy of tPBM in attenuating seizure behaviors and associated neuropathology remains largely unexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neuroprotective effects of tPBM on seizure behaviors and neuronal damage.
- To evaluate tPBM's impact on apoptosis of parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PV-INs) and the hippocampal inhibitory network.
Main Methods:
- Peripubertal Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with near-infrared laser (808 nm) prior to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) injection.
- Behavioral seizure scoring, mortality assessment, and histological analyses including Hematoxylin-eosin, immunofluorescence (IF) for parvalbumin (PV), and TUNEL assay were performed.
- Specific focus on neuronal injury, PV-IN apoptosis, and the perisomatic inhibitory network in the hippocampus.
Main Results:
- tPBM significantly attenuated seizure scores, reduced SE incidence, and decreased mortality rates.
- Histological examination revealed reduced dark neurons in multiple brain regions (cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus).
- tPBM lessened the apoptotic ratio of PV-INs and mitigated aberrant changes in the perisomatic inhibitory network of the hippocampus.
Conclusions:
- tPBM effectively attenuates PTZ-induced seizures, SE, and mortality in peripubertal rats.
- The therapy demonstrates neuroprotective effects by reducing neuronal injury and apoptosis of PV-INs.
- tPBM preserves the hippocampal perisomatic inhibitory network, suggesting a promising therapeutic strategy for SE.
Abstract:
Convulsive status epilepticus is the most common neurological emergency in children. Transcranial photobiomodulation (tPBM) reverses elevated rodent neurotransmitters after status epilepticus (SE) yet whether tPBM can attenuate seizure behaviors remains unknown. Here, we applied near-infrared laser at wavelength 808 nm transcranially to peripubertal Sprague-Dawley rats prior to pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) injection. Hematoxylin-eosin, immunofluorescence (IF) staining with anti-parvalbumin (PV) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay after IF staining was performed. Behaviorally, tPBM attenuated the mean seizure score and reduced the incidence of SE and mortality. Histochemically, tPBM reduced dark neurons in the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus and hypothalamus, lessened the apoptotic ratio of parvalbumin-positive interneurons (PV-INs) and alleviated the aberrant extent of PV-positive unstained somata of PCs in the hippocampus. Conclusively, tPBM attenuated PTZ-induced seizures, SE and mortality in peripubertal rats and reduced PTZ-induced neuronal injury, apoptosis of PV-INs and preserved PV positive perisomatic inhibitory network in the hippocampus.
