Low-intensity infrared laser increases plasma proteins and induces oxidative stress in vitro.

Low-intensity laser therapy is based on the excitation of endogenous chromophores in biotissues and free-radical generation could be involved in its biological effects. In this work, the effects of the low-intensity infrared laser on plasma protein content and oxidative stress in blood from Wistar rats were studied. Blood samples from Wistar rats were exposed to low-intensity infrared laser in continuous wave and pulsed-emission modes at different fluencies. Plasma protein content and two oxidative stress markers (thiobarbituric acid-reactive species formation and myeloperoxidase activity) were carried out to assess the effects of laser irradiation on blood samples. Low-intensity infrared laser exposure increases plasma protein content, induces lipid peroxidation, and increases myeloperoxidase activity in a dose- and frequency-dependent way in blood samples. The low-intensity infrared laser increases plasma protein content and oxidative stress in blood samples, suggesting that laser therapy protocols should take into account fluencies, frequencies, and wavelengths of the laser before beginning treatment.