ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Mild thermal treatment with "Pinpoint Plantar Long-wavelength Infrared Light Irradiation (PP-LILI)" named as Stress-Free Therapy(®) increases peripheral-deep body temperature and blood flow, and improves multiple disorders including hyperpiesia, type II diabetes and cardiovascular patients. Immunomodulatory effects of PP-LILI were investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven healthy individuals and 4 people with underlying medical condition (UMC) participated in this study. Participants were given PP-LILI stimuli twice a week over 3 weeks and followed with placebo stimuli over 3 weeks. This set of sessions was repeated 3 times. For analyses, fresh peripheral mononuclear cells from participants were stained with fluorescencedye conjugated monoclonal antibodies and changes in populational compositions and IL-10 expression levels were observed by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Distinct expression of IL-10 in lymphocytes was induced by PP-LILI from the second session in the healthy individuals. This induction was terminated during the following placebo sessions. PP-LILI induced activation of CD19(+) CD24(hi) CD38(hi) regulatory B cells in every session prior to induce the IL-10 in major lymphocytes. Activated regulatory B cells in the individuals with UMC decreased as same levels of healthy individuals after second PP-LILI session and re-activated with the stimuli. Significant population changes in neither regulatory T cells nor proinflammatory IL-17A expressing CD4(+) T cells were observed. CONCLUSIONS: PP-LILI is a potent immunomodulatory inducer that activates regulatory B cells and consequent IL-10 expression in lymphocytes. Moreover, its stimulatory intervals down-regulate the higher activation of regulatory B cells and lymphocyte's IL-10 expression occurred by UMC to the healthy people's level.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The incidence of vascular dementia (VD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has recently increased and the prevention of progression of these diseases is very difficult. RESULTS: The application of pinpoint plantar long-wavelength infrared light irradiation (PP-LILI) to a patient's sole, at the point where the line drawn between the first and second metatarsal heads intersects with the vertical line from the medial malleolus, was effective in increasing blood flow to the facial artery, elevating high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels, and reducing insulin resistance. CONCLUSIONS: We found that these effects of PP-LILI might be helpful for preventing VD and AD, conditions that are becoming a social problem in an aging Japanese society.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: We have developed a Stress-free Therapy(®) device wherein "Pinpoint Plantar Long-wavelength Infrared Light Irradiation (PP-LILI)" increases peripheral-deep body temperature and blood flow volume and stabilizes blood pressure as well as significantly reduces stress hormones such as adrenocorticotrophic hormone and cortisol without using drugs. Moreover, we have found this therapy to significantly improve blood glucose and insulin resistance in patients with type 2 diabetes. Based on this background of clinical efficacy, we validated changes in cerebral blood flow in patients with metabolic cardiovascular disease and examined the efficacy of Stress-free Therapy(®) on cerebral blood flow as compared to that in healthy control subjects and placebo-treated patients. RESULTS: The change in cerebral blood flow volume during 15-minute PP-LILI was 5.1 ± 1.8 mL/min in patients with metabolic cardiovascular disease, showing a significant increase (P<0.05) of 3.1 mL/min as compared with the mean blood flow value after resting for 15 minutes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested Stress-free Therapy(®) to significantly increase cerebral blood flow, possibly leading to the prevention of metabolic cardiovascular disease.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study was aimed at the development of a novel noninvasive treatment system, "pinpoint plantar long-wavelength infrared light irradiation (PP-LILI)", which may be able to relieve mental stress and normalize blood glucose level via the reduction of stress hormones in type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. MATERIALS (SUBJECTS) AND METHODS: Based on this hypothesis, the present study was undertaken to examine effects of PP-LILI on stress hormones (ACTH and cortisol), blood glucose, HbA1c, and insulin levels in 10 patients with type 2 DM. Each patient received PP-LILI of the foot for 15 minutes once weekly using a stress free apparatus (infrared wavelength, 9,000-12,000 nm/power 30 mW). RESULTS: In response to this therapy, ACTH (P<0.01) and cortisol (P<0.05) levels decreased significantly. Fasting blood glucose (P<0.05) and insulin (P<0.05) levels also decreased significantly along with a tendency for HbA1c to decrease. CONCLUSIONS: The present data raise the possibility that PP-LILI can normalize blood glucose levels by reducing stress hormones such as cortisol, which aggravate DM, and by improving insulin sensitivity, thereby contributing to prevention and treatment of DM.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The current investigation was aimed at the development of a novel non-invasive treatment system, "pinpoint plantar long-wavelength infrared light irradiation (PP-LILI)", which may be able to relieve mental stress and reduce stress-related hormones. Materials (Subjects) and methods: We compared the subcutaneous temperature, blood pressure, the degree of secretion of stress hormones before and after pinpoint irradiations (wavelength: 8-11 µm; output: 30mW). The study enrolled 15 subjects (Japanese healthy adults; 8 males, 7 females; average age 47.8 ± 14.6 years). Two parts of the planter region were irradiated for 15 min respectively. The stress markers such as ACTH, salivary amylase and cortisol were measured. As well, core body temperature and blood pressure were analyzed before and after the irradiation. RESULTS: A series of experiments revealed increased body temperature, decreased levels of blood pressure and stress markers described above after the irradiation. CONCLUSIONS: These results clearly suggest that the PP-LILI system will be quite useful for relieving stress and improvement of homeostatic functions in the body.
