Effect of photobiomodulation on expression of IL-1β in skeletal muscle following acute injury

Muscle repair is regulated by growth factors and cytokines. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) seems to influence acute inflammation and accelerate skeletal muscle repair. This study verifies the effect of LLLT on the expression of IL-1β in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle of rats following acute injury. Wistar rats (n = 35) were allocated into three groups: control (without lesion and LLLT, n = 5), injury group (n = 15), and injury + LLLT group (n = 15). The acute injury was induced by the contact with a cooled metal probe (3 mm in diameter) during 10 s, twice, in the same muscle area. LLLT was used three times a week using the InGaAlP laser (660 nm; beam spot of 0.04 cm², output power of 20 mW, power density of 500 mW/cm², and energy density of 5 J/cm² during 10 s). The animals were analyzed at 1, 7, and 14 days following injury. TA muscles samples were used for obtaining total RNA and performing cDNA synthesis. Real-time polymerase chain reactions were realized using IL-1β primer. There was a decrease in IL-1β expression after 7 days in LLLT group in comparison with the no treated group. In conclusion, LLLT was able to decrease IL-1β expression during the skeletal muscle repair following an acute injury.