Cornejo, R.; Matamala, F.; Silva, H.; Garrido, O. & Saéz, L.

Summary

Livers of Sprague Dawley rats were irradiated with daily doses of 6 J/cm2 emitted by a laser AsGa, equivalent to 904 nm during 15 days. Experiment animals were anaesthetised and killed after 5, 10, 30, 45 and 60 days post irradiation, in order to obtain samples of liver by surgery. These were processed for transmission electron microscopy, and morphometric techniques were applied using 8,500 X magnification with special emphasis on measuring the volumetric fractions of cell components in order to determine the duration of infrared stimulation. Analysis of the results between control hepatocytes and those irradiated with doses of 6 J/cm2 and by period after infra-red stimulation revealed the existence of marked differences between the volumetric fractions of cell components which determine cell function or are involved in protein synthesis. The measurements show clearly that the effect of the infrared laser persists up to 30 days post stimulation, with evidence of modifications of organelles revealing high functioning, while after 30 days a notable inhibition of this functioning is observed. It is therefore concluded that the effects of infrared radiation persist for precise times, provoking a drastic transformation in hepatocyte components, and thus the functioning of these high-metabolism cells.

KEY WORDS: Infrared laser; Hepatocytes; Morphometry; Rats.

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