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Effects of moderate aerobic exercise, low-level laser therapy, or their combination on muscles pathology, oxidative stress and irisin levels in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Lasers in Medical Science volume 37, pages 2925–2936 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate how the combined use of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and exercise, to reduce the possible side effects and/or increase the benefits of exercise, would affect oxidative stress, utrophin, irisin peptide, and skeletal, diaphragmatic, and cardiac muscle pathologies. In our study, 20 mdx mice were divided into four groups. Groups; sedentary and placebo LLLT (SC), sedentary and LLLT (SL), 30-min swimming exercise (Ex), and 30-min swimming exercise and LLLT (ExL). After 8 weeks of swimming exercise, muscle tests, biochemically; oxidative stress index (OSI), utrophin and irisin levels were measured. Skeletal, diaphragmatic and cardiac muscle histopathological scores, skeletal and cardiac muscle myocyte diameters were determined under the light and electron microscope. While only irisin levels were increased in group SL compared to SC, it was determined that OSI, heart muscle histopathological scores decreased and irisin levels increased in both exercise groups (p < 0.05). In addition, in the ExL group, an increase in rotarod and utrophin levels, and a decrease in muscle and diaphragm muscle histopathological scores were observed (p < 0.05). It was determined that the application of swimming exercise in the mdx mouse model increased the irisin level in the skeletal muscle, while reducing the OSI, degeneration in the heart muscle, inflammation and cardiopathy. When LLLT was applied in addition to exercise, muscle strength, skeletal muscle utrophin levels increased, and skeletal and diaphragmatic muscle degeneration and inflammation decreased. In addition, it was determined that only LLLT application increased the level of skeletal muscle irisin.

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Funding

Our study was supported by Acıbadem University Scientific Research Project Committee (2020/03/06).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, Institute of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Sılasu Arıkan

  2. Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Sciences, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Kerem Aydınlar Campus, Icerenkoy Mah. Kayısdagı Cad. No: 32, 34752, Atasehir, Istanbul, Turkey

    Nuray Alaca

  3. Department of Medical Pathology Techniques, Vocational School of Health Services, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Dilek Özbeyli

  4. Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Merve Açıkel Elmas & Serap Arbak

  5. Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Acibadem Mehmet Ali Aydinlar University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Guldal Suyen

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  1. Sılasu Arıkan
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  2. Nuray Alaca
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Contributions

Conceptualization: [Sılasu Arıkan and Nuray Alaca], Methodology: [Sılasu Arıkan; Nuray Alaca; Dilek Özbeyli; Merve Açıkel Elmas and Serap Arbak], Formal analysis and investigation: [Sılasu Arıkan and Nuray Alaca], Writing—original draft preparation: [Sılasu Arıkan, Nuray Alaca and Merve Açıkel Elmas]; Writing—review and editing: [Sılasu Arıkan, Nuray Alaca and Guldal Suyen], Funding acquisition: [Sılasu Arıkan and Nuray Alaca], Resources: [Sılasu Arıkan and Nuray Alaca], Supervision: [Nuray Alaca and Guldal Suyen].

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nuray Alaca.

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Ethics approval and consent to participate

This study was approved by Acıbadem University Animal Experiments Local Ethics Committee (Ref No. HADEK-2020–21).

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Supplementary Information

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10103_2022_3562_MOESM1_ESM.pdf

Supplemental Figure 1 Presentation of Stains Used for Diaphragmatic Muscle Histopathological Examination. A-C: Sedentary mdx mice + placebo LLLT group; D-F: Sedentary mdx mice + LLLT group; G-I: mdx mice doing 30 min swimming exercise; J-L: mdx mice doing 30 min swimming exercise + LLLT group; Arrow: degenerated muscle fiber (A-J: Hematoxylin and Eosin, B-K: Masson trichrome, C-L: Picrosirius, Paraffin section). Bar = 50 µm and 100 µm for Picrosirius. (PDF 1044 KB)

10103_2022_3562_MOESM2_ESM.pdf

Supplemental Figure 2 Fibrotic Cross-sectional Areas of Gastrocnemius, Diaphragm, and Heart Muscle. A: Fibrotic cross-sectional areas of gastrocnemius muscle, B: Fibrotic cross-sectional areas of diaphragm muscle, C: Fibrotic cross-sectional areas of cardiac muscle, D: Gastrocnemius muscle diameter, E: Cardiomyocyte diameter; Group SC: Sedentary mdx mice + placebo LLLT group; Group SL: Sedentary mdx mice + LLLT group; Group Ex: mdx fare ve LLLT. Group Ex: mdx mice doing 30 min swimming exercise; Group ExL: mdx mice doing 30 min swimming exercise + LLLT group; One Way Anova; Tukey-Kramer Post-Hoc Test. (PDF 38 KB)

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Arıkan, S., Alaca, N., Özbeyli, D. et al. Effects of moderate aerobic exercise, low-level laser therapy, or their combination on muscles pathology, oxidative stress and irisin levels in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Lasers Med Sci 37, 2925–2936 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-022-03562-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-022-03562-8

Keywords

  • Duchenne
  • Mdx mice
  • Exercise
  • Low-level laser therapy
  • Irisin
  • Muscle
  • Heart