The effects of low-level laser therapy in a rat model of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury

Background and Objective To investigate the effects of low‐level laser therapy applied to the serosal surface of the rat jejunum following ischemia and reperfusion. Materials and Methods Ninety‐six male Sprague–Dawley rats were assigned to 15 groups and anesthetized. Small intestinal ischemia was induced by clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 60 minutes. A laser diode (70 mW, 650 nm) was applied to the serosal surface of the jejunum at a dose of 0.5 J/cm2 either immediately before or following initiation of reperfusion. Animals were maintained under anesthesia and sacrificed at 0, 1, and 6 hours following reperfusion. Intestinal, lung, and liver samples were evaluated histologically. Results Intestinal injury was significantly worse (P