• General Information

Effects of laser on subdermal fat tissue

Dr M. Giuliani, L Di Marzio, B Cinue, G. Zocali , M.G. Cifone, Department of Surgical Sciences, University of L’Aquila. Italy.

Necrosis and apoptosis are two different mechanisms of cell damage with diverse morphologic alteration, incidence and mechanism.

The stages of tissue necrosis are: membrane disruption, respiratory toxins and hypoxia that cause a decrease in ATP, followed by metabolic collapse, cellular swelling and cellular destruction.

On the other hand, apoptosis is characterised by cell contraction, chromatic condensations and systematic DNA destruction. The adipocyte cells are quickly engulfed by the phagocytes that inhibit the unleashing of the inflammatory process proper of the liberation and degradation of the cell detritus. Considering that the apoptosis is a type of cell destruction that is not accompanied by an inflammatory process, the study of a method to obtain the destruction of the adipocytes by apoptosis and/or necrosis is an interesting option.

In this sense, there are studies of the effect of Neodymium:YAG laser on a population of “in vitro” fat cells. The number of cells present after the laser delivery has been measured, the mechanism of fat cell destruction has been specifically analysed distinguishing between the two methods (necrosis and apoptosis) as well as the changes in extracellular levels of lipids before and after the laser emission.

After careful isolation of the liposuction-extracted material under tumescent technique, the fat tissue is radiated through a Neodymium:YAG delivery fibre measuring 300 microns with 5 second emissions at 25 joules of fluence and in four cycles, total time of delivery 20 seconds, total power 500 joules; it was then compared with a sample not radiated with laser.

Both the radiated and non-radiated preparations were compared to measure the number and size of the adipocyte components were compared; for the detection of the adipocyte cells, Acridine/Orange/Ethidium Bromide were used and the fluorescence was measured under microscope. Tests were also carried out to detect DNA destruction.

The results displayed that in the radiated sample the number of adipocytes was slightly less, it was also verified that in the untreated sample the number of adipocytes was not altered in the first 72 hours. Apoptosis trace was detected by pigmented Acridine corpuscles and through the detection of denatured DNA remains.

However, no modifications in the intra and extracellular fats were found, accepting that there was apoptosis but no destruction of the adipocyte membrane as no liberation of lipids was reported.