Mirsky N, Krispel Y, Shoshany Y, Maltz L, Oron U.

Promotion of angiogenesis by low energy laser irradiation.

Antioxid Redox Signal. 2002; 4 (5): 785-790.

The effect of HeNe irradiation on the process of angiogenesis in the infarcted rat heart and in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM), as well as the proliferation of endothelial cells in tissue culture, was investigated by Mirsky. Formation of new blood vessels in the infarcted rat heart was monitored by counting proliferating endothelial cells in blood vessels. In the CAM model, defined areas were laser-irradiated or non-irradiated and blood vessel density was recorded in each site in the CAM at various time intervals. Laser irradiation caused a 3.1-fold significant increase in newly formed blood vessels 6 days post infarction, as compared with non-irradiated rats. In the CAM model, a slight inhibition of angiogenesis up to 2 days post irradiation and a significant enhancement of angiogenesis in the laser-irradiated foci as compared with control non-irradiated spots were evident. The laser irradiation caused a 1.8-fold significant increase in the rate of proliferation in endothelial cells in culture over non-irradiated cells.