Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Completed
Administrative data
NCT number |
NCT05012514 |
Other study ID # |
LLLT |
Secondary ID |
|
Status |
Completed |
Phase |
N/A
|
First received |
|
Last updated |
|
Start date |
August 8, 2020 |
Est. completion date |
August 1, 2021 |
Study information
Verified date |
August 2021 |
Source |
Indústria Brasileira Equipamentos Médicos - IBRAMED |
Contact |
n/a |
Is FDA regulated |
No |
Health authority |
|
Study type |
Interventional
|
Clinical Trial Summary
Background: Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has become an adjuvant therapeutic possibility
in body remodeling procedures. Although this modality emerged in 1960, there are still few
studies that demonstrate the real mechanism of action and possible interaction with
subcutaneous fatty tissue. Given this scenario, this study was proposed with the aim of
evaluating the effects of PBMT to Light Emitting Diode (LED) associating the red (630 nm) and
infrared (850 nm) wavelengths in the subcutaneous fatty tissue. Methods: This is a
non-randomized controlled study of comparative intervention that evaluated a sample of
subcutaneous fatty tissue from women with grade II obesity. The participants received the LED
PBMT treatment with associated red and infrared wavelengths sequentially on the left side of
the abdomen and the right side was considered as control, with the collection of biological
material performed at the time of bariatric surgery. For histological and immunohistochemical
evaluation, Caspase 3, Cleaved Caspase 3, CD68+, HSL and adipophilin markers were used.
Description:
Localized adiposity or localized obesity is the hyperplasia or hypertrophy of adipocytes in
specific areas such as the abdomen and flanks, its development is associated with the risk of
metabolic diseases and psychosocial changes related to low self-esteem, since aesthetic
appearance is considered an imposed standard of beauty nowadays.
The proportion of obese individuals has increased at alarming levels around the world and to
combat it, several therapeutic approaches are needed, such as personalized diets and physical
activity plans, in order to balance consumption and energy expenditure, but despite these
controls, several adjuvant features such as non-invasive modalities are also being proposed
to reduce subcutaneous fatty tissue.
Among these modalities are the technologies of shock waves, cryolipolysis, focused
ultrasound, radiofrequency and the use of light sources with photobiomodulation therapy. The
latter, in turn, has shown relevant results in the possible reduction of subcutaneous fatty
tissue.
The use of a light source as a therapeutic form is already millenary and nowadays it is
widely used as a modality to promote wound healing, reduce pain and possible damage and
inflammation of tissues with the characteristic of not presenting photothermal or
photoacoustic effects, thus termed as photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT). It can be used by
using non-ionizing light sources such as Low Intensity Laser Therapy (LLLT) or Light Emitting
Diode Therapy (LED).
The landmark of the use of PBMT in the possible reduction of subcutaneous fatty tissue
emerged with the double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study by Jackson et al. in 2012.
A total of 689 individuals participated in the study, subdivided into a placebo group and an
LLLT group, all of whom were evaluated during the treatment, in order to verify the possible
reduction in the circumference of the waist, hips and thighs. Participants received a total
of six LLLT treatments over 2 weeks with baseline and post-procedure circumferential
measurements recorded. The results showed a significant reduction (p<0.0001) in circumference
at the waist, hips and thighs one week after treatment with LLLT.
Following the same line of research Jankowski et al., and Elnaggar, also carried out
photobiomodulation studies to reduce fatty tissue and show partially significant results. The
justification for the result was the smaller sample of participants compared to the study by
Jackson et al., , however these studies were not able to elucidate which form of therapeutic
action on fatty tissue to promote its reduction.
The mechanisms by which PBMT can affect fatty tissue are still controversial, and it is
hypothesized that PBMT could induce micropores in the adipocyte membrane, which allow the
release of intracellular lipids and place them outside the interstitial space or an
alternative hypothesis is that PBMT stimulates mitochondria in adipocytes, which, in turn,
increases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis with subsequent activation of cyclic
adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), promoting lipolysis, and the third hypothesis is that it
depends on of the dose applied in PBMT, this can even stimulate adipocyte cell apoptosis,
that is, there is still no clear physiological basis for its mechanism.
Another important PBMT fact for the reduction of fatty tissue observed in articles already
published is the difference in the wavelengths used, and in some articles the
photobiomodulation was carried out with the red wavelength 630nm and in others the infrared
808 or 850nm. It is believed that each of them must reach different depths of the fatty
tissue and thus favor its reduction, however, there is no standardization of the protocol.
Given this scenario, this study aimed to verify the real mechanism of action of PBMT when
used in association of the wavelengths, red (630nm) and infrared (850nm) in the subcutaneous
fatty tissue, through a clinical study with histological and immunohistochemistry analysis
with markers of lipolysis and apoptosis in the subcutaneous fatty tissue of obese
individuals.