Electrophysiological analysis of the HeNe laser effects at the mouse neuromuscular junction (Article)

The low energy laser irradiation (LELI) has been reported to affect excitability in living tissues. In order to study the possible modification induced at the molecular level, we employed an electrophysiological technique on an in vitro mouse diaphragm preparation. The analysis was carried out either on physiological or in KCl stressed preparation. Results showed that HeNe laser irradiation affects significantly the conformational changes induced post-synaptically by acetylcholine (ACh). Neither the spontaneous release nor the evoked release was significantly affected by the laser stimulation. On the other hand, the increase in miniature end-plate currents (MEPC) frequency induced by high K+ was partly counteracted by laser treatment.