Influence of Low-Incident-Energy Laser Irradiation on the Arthus Phenomenon Induced on the Rabbit's Cornea: A Controlled Study

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Abstract
This study investigated the effects of low-power laser irradiation on the rabbit cornea. Making use of the immune reaction common in rabbits, the Arthus phenomenon, we injected all rabbits with complete Freund's adjuvant containing inactivated mycobacterium twice to stimulate B cell activity, then injected them two more times with incomplete Freund's adjuvant containing human serum to stimulate T cell activity. One week after the experiment initiation we applied 0.5 ml of human serum intracorneally to both eyes in all rabbits. Sickle-shaped turbidity was observed immediately. The rabbits were then divided into control (47) and test groups (10) and the test group received low-power laser treatment using the HeNe laser at 5 mW for 2 min daily. Treatment was applied to only one eye. We observed significant changes in the treated group including increased vascular sprouting, longer duration of neoangiogenesis, and creation of longer vessels in the laser-treated group. Vascular sprouting took place 24 hr after irradiation in the test group and from 5–8 days later in the control group. Vascularization ceased on day 8 in the control animals: control animals' corneas appeared avascular from day 12 on. In the test group, alternatively, the vessels could still be seen 14 days after laser irradiation. Vessels were 8 mm in irradiated animals but only 4 mm in the control animals. Based on our study we suggest that irradiation of an Arthus phenomenon induced in the rabbit's cornea with low-power laser is able to influence neoangiogenesis positively.