Profound results with red light and stroke recovery – This study found that shining red LED onto the head “generated a significantly smaller infarct size and improvements in neurological function based on neurologic test score.” They found “LED therapy profoundly reduced neuroinflammatory responses.” “LED therapy also decreased cell death.” To reduce tissue damage and reduce brain inflammation they applied red light on the head 2 times a day for 30 minutes a time for 3 days starting 4 days after a stroke.
Low-level light emitting diode (LED) therapy suppresses inflammasome-mediated brain damage in experimental ischemic stroke.
Lee HI1, Lee SW2,3, Kim NG4, Park KJ4, Choi BT2,3,5, Shin YI1,6, Shin HK2,3,5.
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Abstract
Use of photostimulation including low-level light emitting diode (LED) therapy has broadened greatly in recent years because it is compact, portable, and easy to use. Here, the effects of photostimulation by LED (610 nm) therapy on ischemic brain damage was investigated in mice in which treatment started after a stroke in a clinically relevant setting. The mice underwent LED therapy (20 min) twice a day for 3 days, commencing at 4 hours post-ischemia. LED therapy group generated a significantly smaller infarct size and improvements in neurological function based on neurologic test score. LED therapy profoundly reduced neuroinflammatory responses including neutrophil infiltration and microglia activation in the ischemic cortex. LED therapy also decreased cell death and attenuated the NLRP3 inflammasome, in accordance with down-regulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1? and IL-18 in the ischemic brain. Moreover, the mice with post-ischemic LED therapy showed suppressed TLR-2 levels, MAPK signaling and NF-kB activation. These findings suggest that by suppressing the inflammasome, LED therapy can attenuate neuroinflammatory responses and tissue damage following ischemic stroke. Therapeutic interventions targeting the inflammasome via photostimulation with LED may be a novel approach to ameliorate brain injury following ischemic stroke. Effect of post-ischemic low-level light emitting diode therapy (LED-T) on infarct reduction was mediated by inflammasome suppression.
© 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.
KEYWORDS:
Focal cerebral ischemia; NLRP3; TLR2; neuroprotection; photostimulation
PMID: 28164443 DOI: 10.1002/jbio.201600244