Photobiomodulation therapy on bothrops snake venom-induced local pathological effects: A systematic review

Bothrops snakebite treatment is antivenom therapy, which is ineffective in neutralizing the severe local effects caused by these envenomations. There are evidence that photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has emerged as a promising tool to counteract the venom-induced local effects. The purpose was to write a narrative review of the literature about PBMT as a treatment for Bothrops snakebites. We reviewed articles indexed in PubMed, SCOPUS and Scientif Direct database with filter application. Included studies had to investigate local effects induced by Bothrops snake venom in any animal model using any type of photobiomodulation irradiation and at least one quantitative measure of local effects of Bothrops envenomation. Sixteen studies were selected from 54 original articles targeted PBMT (low-level laser or light emitting diode) as a complementary tool for local effects treatment induced by snakebites, and all its assessments. Articles were critically assessed by two independent raters with a structured tool for rating the research quality. PBMT demonstrate to be a promising tool for local treatment effects caused by snakebite by reducing local edema, hyperalgesia, leukocyte influx and myonecrosis and accelerating tissue regeneration related to myotoxicity. However, the mechanism is not well understood and additional studies are needed.