Cellular alterations upon IR-laser (890 nm) exposures, in vivo

Exposure of cultured cells and small animals to ionizing radiation as well as irradiation of cultured cells with He-Ne laser can cause changes in the functional condition of plasma membranes. The ionizing radiation-induced cell membrane alterations have been determined after either partial or local exposures. The aim of the present study was to reveal whether the local laser treatments cause a general, distant, so called abscopal" effect measured at cellular level, when the laser treatment is intended as a stimulatory procedure. The biological effect of infrared laser (mean power of 5 Watts, 150 Hz frequency, 890 nm wavelength) was demonstrated through 3H-concanavalin A binding by blood cells of daily irradiated (altogether 10 exposures) oncological and non-oncological patients as well as by changes in the proliferation of bone marrow cells of whole body gamma-irradiated (4 Gy) rats, partially laser-treated. The lectin binding of lymphocytes of oncological, as well as ischaemic heart disease patients was increased immediately after the first laser treatment. However, it was decreased after completion of the full course. In cases of inflammatory diseases the test parameters were either unchanged or decreased as compared to their self-control values. The platelets and erythrocytes did not react in any group. Gamma irradiation caused a deep inhibition of proliferation of rat bone marrow cells. The number of fibroblast colony-forming units (CFU-F) could be increased again if the animals were partially exposed to laser. Laser irradiation of one of the femurs led to some recovery of CFU-F values in the exposed as well as unexposed femur. Thus, local infrared laser treatment induces abscopal effects on the cell membrane and cell proliferation characteristics.