ClinicalTrials.gg
Status unknownNCT03252184Updated Mar 24, 2020

Effects of Photobiomodulation on Endothelial Function in Healthy Subjects

An interventional study of Low level laser therapy - 1 and Low level laser therapy - 2 in Healthy Behavior, sponsored by Rodrigo Della Méa Plentz. Status unknown at 1 site in Brazil. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 40 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2020-03-24.

Sponsored by Rodrigo Della Méa Plentz · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

The sponsor has not verified this record recently (last verified Mar 2020), so the status shown — last known as Active, not recruiting — may be out of date.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
16
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 40 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The endothelial cell layer is responsible for the control of vascular homeostasis, a process mediated by vasoconstricting and vasodilatory substances. The principal endothelium-dependent vascular dilator is nitric oxide (NO), and the reduction of its synthesis or bioavailability is the main cause for the development of endothelial dysfunction. The use of photobiomodulation may be beneficial in several clinical situations. At the endothelial level, the stimulatory effects on vascular endothelial growth factor, NO secretion, number of capillaries and proliferation of endothelial cells are outstanding. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation on the arterial endothelial function of healthy individuals. The study design will be a randomized, crossover, clinical trial and the sample will be composed of subjects selected by the eligibility criteria, and randomly randomized according to the order of intervention of the groups. The hypothesis is that at the end of the protocol with photobiomodulation an increase in endothelial function and blood markers of endothelial function occurs, and no tissue temperature variation.

Read the detailed description

Detailed Description: The endothelial cell layer is responsible for the control of vascular homeostasis, a process mediated by vasoconstricting and vasodilatory substances. The principal endothelium-dependent vascular dilator is nitric oxide (NO), and the reduction of its synthesis or bioavailability is the main cause for the development of endothelial dysfunction. The use of photobiomodulation may be beneficial in several clinical situations. At the endothelial level, the stimulatory effects on vascular endothelial growth factor, NO secretion, number of capillaries and proliferation of endothelial cells are outstanding. It has also been shown an increase in glutathione levels, antioxidant effect and angiogenic potential, which shows a potential vascular effect, and consequently, an improvement in endothelial function. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation on the arterial endothelial function of healthy individuals. The study design will be a randomized, crossover, clinical trial and the sample will be composed of 16 healthy subjects selected by the eligibility criteria, and randomly randomized according to the order of intervention of the groups. The hypothesis is that at the end of the irradiation protocol with photobiomodulation an increase in endothelial function and blood markers of endothelial function occurs, and no tissue temperature variation. The primary objective is to evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation on the arterial endothelial function of healthy individuals. The secondary objectives are: 1) To evaluate the time of blood vessel dilation after photobiomodulation. 2) To evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation on blood markers (hemogram) and endothelial markers (cGMP and L-arginine), and Nitric oxide (nitrite and nitrate). 3) To analyze associations between markers and metabolites with endothelial function due to the effects of Photobiomodulation. 3) Analyze the local temperature before and after photobiomodulation. 4) Analyze the local temperature before and after the measurement of Endothelial function. 5) Evaluate possible associations between blood and endothelial markers, nitric oxide pathway metabolites and Endothelial function with local temperature. 6) To compare the effects of energy doses and wavelenghts of photobiosmodulation on endothelial function, blood and endothelial markers, and metabolites of the nitric oxide pathway. The research will be developed in room 709 of the Laboratory of Physiotherapy in building II, UFCSPA and, for randomization, the simple technique will be used through numbers generated by a freely available software. The generation of the sequence of numbers will be done by a blind researcher, after the selection of the individuals by the eligibility criteria. The study will be separated in phases in according to photobiomodulation device employed. Initially, we will use the laser with 658nm, power output of 10mW per point and fluence of 18J, 36J e 54J per area. The individuals will be randomly assigned to: group 1 (energy dose of 18J), group 2 (energy dose of 36J), group 3 (energy dose of 54J), and group 4 (placebo). In the second phase, we will use the laser with 810nm, power density of 714 mW/cm2 and fluence of 30 J per spot. The individuals will be randomly assigned to: group 1 (energy dose of 30J), group 2 (energy dose of 60J) and group 3 (placebo). Finally, we will measure the time of blood vessel dilation after photobiomodulation with 30J and 60J. The normality of the data will be evaluated by the Shapiro-Wilk test. Data with symmetrical distribution will be presented as mean ± standard deviation, and data with asymmetric distribution as median and interquartile range (P25 - P75). The baseline characteristics of the patients will be compared by Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney when the distributions are parametric or non-parametric, respectively. The categorical variables will be compared by the Chi-square test. Variance Analysis (ANOVA) will be used for repeated measures for pre and post-intervention data analysis, or the Mann-Whitney test (asymmetric distribution), followed by Bonferroni post hoc. The Pearson or Sperman correlations will be used for possible association between the analyzed variables. Statistical significance of 5% (p \<0.05) will be observed.

02

Conditions studied

  • Healthy Behavior

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Keywords

  • Phototherapy
  • Laser Therapy
  • Endothelium-Dependent
  • Vascular Endothelium
  • Low Intensity Light Therapy
  • Relaxing Factors
03

In context

Behavior

1,573 studies on the registry are indexed under Behavior; 313 are open to participants now.

This study's planned enrollment of 16 is below the median of 120 across 1,197 interventional studies indexed under Behavior.

Browse Behavior studies →

Lead sponsor

This is the only study on the registry with Rodrigo Della Méa Plentz as lead sponsor.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 40 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age between 18-40 years
  • (BMI: kg / m2) lower than 30
  • Absence of symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders
  • No use of medications
  • Non-smokers and / or alcoholics
  • Absence of previous diagnosis of diseases Rheumatological, cardiovascular, renal, metabolic, neurological, oncological, immunological, hematological, psychiatric or cognitive.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

On the days of evaluation and intervention:

  • Individuals who performed high intensity physical activity in the previous 72 hours
  • Individuals who had an inflammatory response (> 3 mg / dL, fibrinogen \<200 or> 400mg / dL) or leukocytosis (> 11,000 x103 / Mm3)
  • Individuals who have consumed caffeine, juices or citrus fruits, high-fat foods and alcohol in the 12 hours prior to the test
  • Individuals who are not fasting for 12 hours
  • Individuals who have used anti-inflammatory, antipyretic or analgesic drugs
  • Individuals who having an arterial diameter \<0.25 mm or> 5.0 mm
  • Individuals with present endothelial dysfunction evaluated by the FMD technique (dilation \<8%).
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Crossover assignment
Masking
Double (Participant, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
16 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Phase 1 - Low level laser therapy - 1 (G1)

    Low level laser therapy with energy dose of 18J will be applied on left brachial artery of the subject.

    Device: Low level laser therapy - 1

  • Experimental
    Phase 1 - Low level laser therapy - 1 (G2)

    Low level laser therapy with energy dose of 36J will be applied on left brachial artery of the subject.

    Device: Low level laser therapy - 1

  • Experimental
    Phase 1 - Low level laser therapy - 1 (G3)

    Low level laser therapy with energy dose of 54J will be applied on left brachial artery of the subject.

    Device: Low level laser therapy - 1

  • Placebo comparator
    Phase 1 - Placebo low level laser therapy - 1 (G4)

    Low level laser therapy with equipment turn off (placebo) be applied on left brachial artery of the subject.

    Device: Low level laser therapy - 1

  • Experimental
    Phase 2 - Low level laser therapy - 2 (G1)

    Low level laser therapy with energy dose of 30J will be applied on left brachial artery of the subject.

    Device: Low level laser therapy - 2

  • Experimental
    Phase 2 - Low level laser therapy - 2 (G2)

    Low level laser therapy with energy dose of 60J will be applied on left brachial artery of the subject.

    Device: Low level laser therapy - 2

  • Placebo comparator
    Phase 2 - Placebo low level laser therapy - 2 (G3)

    Low level laser therapy with equipment turn off (placebo) be applied on left brachial artery of the subject.

    Device: Low level laser therapy - 2

  • Experimental
    Phase 3 - Low level laser therapy - 3 (G1)

    Low level laser therapy with energy dose of 30J will be applied on left brachial artery of the subject.

    Device: Low level laser therapy - 3

  • Experimental
    Phase 3 - Low level laser therapy - 3(G2)

    Low level laser therapy with energy dose of 60J will be applied on left brachial artery of the subject.

    Device: Low level laser therapy - 3

Interventions

  • DeviceLow level laser therapy - 1

    In the phase 1, the low level laser therapy will be performed with the Fluence device (HTM, Brasil) and the probe from the same manufacturer. For the interventions in groups G1, G2 and G3 (photobiomodulation) will be used, respectively, the energy doses of 18J, 36J and 54J. A 658nm wavelength with an output power of 10mW will be used. Group 4 intervention (placebo photobiomodulation) will be performed with the application of the device turned off. Each intervention will be performed in one day, with an interval of two days between each intervention. Photobiomodulation will be performed on the region of the radial and ulnar arteries of the left arm of each individual. The laser probe will be placed in direct contact with the skin.

    Also known as: Photobiomodulation, LLLT

  • DeviceLow level laser therapy - 2

    In the phase 2, the low level laser therapy will be performed with the Thor DD2 (London, UK) and the cluster probe from the same manufacturer. For the interventions in groups G1 and G2 (photobiomodulation) will be used, respectively, the energy doses of 30J and 60J. A 810nm wavelength and an output power of 200mW will be used. Group 3 intervention (placebo photobiomodulation) will be performed with the application of the device turned off. Each intervention will be performed in one day, with an interval of two days between each intervention. Photobiomodulation will be performed on the region of the radial and ulnar arteries of the left arm of each individual. The laser probe will be placed in direct contact with the skin.

    Also known as: Photobiomodulation, LLLT

  • DeviceLow level laser therapy - 3

    In the phase 3, the low level laser therapy will be performed with the Thor DD2 (London, UK) and the cluster probe from the same manufacturer. For the interventions in groups G1 and G2 (photobiomodulation) will be used, respectively, the energy doses of 30J and 60J. A 810nm wavelength and an output power of 200mW will be used. Each intervention will be performed in one day, with an interval of two days between each intervention. Photobiomodulation will be performed on the region of the radial and ulnar arteries of the left arm of each individual. The laser probe will be placed in direct contact with the skin.

    Also known as: Photobiomodulation, LLLT

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in arterial endothelial function

    The assessment of arterial endothelial function will be performed through the technique of flow-mediated dilatation, by high resolution ultrasound

    Time frame: The evaluation of the arterial endothelial function will be performed 20 minutes before and 20 minutes after the intervention with photobiostimulation

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in body temperature

    The local temperature will be evaluated by thermography

    Time frame: The evaluation of the arterial endothelial function will be performed 15 minutes before and 15 minutes after the intervention with photobiostimulation

  2. Change in inflammatory profile

    The inflammatory profile will be evaluated by C-reactive protein dosage

    Time frame: Basal blood collection (5 minutes before) and immediately after each intervention (5 minutes after)

  3. Change in arterial endothelial function (vasodilatation)

    The vasodilatation will be evaluated by nitrite/nitrate dosage

    Time frame: Basal blood collection (5 minutes before) and immediately after each intervention (5 minutes after)

  4. Time of blood vessel dilation

    The duration of the vasodilation of brachial artery after photobiomodulation

    Time frame: The measurement of the brachial artery vasodilation time (Cruz 2016; Iida 2006) was made before (baseline), immediately after and every two minutes until completing 20 minutes of evaluation after photobiomodulation

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA)
    Porto Alegre, Rio Grande Do Sul 90050170, Brazil
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 24, 2020, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT03252184
Lead sponsor
Rodrigo Della Méa Plentz
Responsible party
Rodrigo Della Méa Plentz (Principal Investigator, Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre) — Sponsor-investigator
First posted
Aug 17, 2017
Start date
Sep 1, 2017
Primary completion
Dec 30, 2019
Completion
Dec 30, 2020 (estimated)
Last update
Mar 24, 2020

Study contacts

Rodrigo DM Plentz, PhD
study director · Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre
Melina Hauck, Me
principal investigator · Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre
Jociane Schardong, PhD
principal investigator · Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre
Camila B Bozzetto, Me
principal investigator · Federal University of Health Science of Porto Alegre

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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