Photomedicine and Laser Surgery Volume 29, Number 7, 2011
Effect of Low-Level Treatment with an 80-Hz Pulsed Infrared Diode Laser on Mast-Cell Numbers and Degranulation in a Rat Model of Third-Degree Burn
Amir Khoshvaghti, M.D., Ph.D.,1 Maral Zibamanzarmofrad, M.D.,2 and Mohammad Bayat, Ph.D.3
AbstractObjective: We conducted a study of the influence of LLLT on mast cells in a rat model of third-degree burn.
Background data: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been reported to be capable of changing mast cell numbers and degranulation in experimental burns in rats.
Methods: In this study we divided 48 rats equally into two groups of 24 rats each. Third-degree burns were inflicted at three different locations on each rat in each group. The first burn site on rats in group I was treated with 890-nm pulsed laser, 75W peak, 80 Hz, 180 ns, average power 1mW, illuminated area 1 cm2, 1mW/cm2, 856 sec, 0.924 J/cm2. The second burn site on both groups of rats was treated with 0.2% nitrofurazone cream. Mast cell numbers and degranulation at each burn site on each group of rats were then assessed at 4, 8, 13, and 20 days after the infliction of burns.
Results: Analysis of variance on day 4 showed that the total numbers of mast cells were significantly lower at the lasertreated burn sites than at other burn sites on both groups of rats. On day 8 the total numbers of mast cells were again significantly lower at the laser-treated burn sites than at other burn sites, and on day 13, the numbers of both types 1 and 2 mast cells were significantly lower at the laser-treated burn sites than at other burn sites.
Conclusions: We conclude that LLLT can significantly decrease total numbers of mast cells during the proliferation and remodeling phases of healing in a rat model of third-degree burn.
Photomedicine and Laser Surgery Volume 27, Number 2, 2009
Visible Lasers Were Better Than Invisible Lasers in Accelerating Burn Healing on Diabetic Rats
Farouk A.H. Al-Watban, M.Sc., Ph.D., Xing Yang Zhang, M.D., Bernard L. Andres, M.T. (A.M.T.), and Azizah Al-Anize, B.Sc.
Abstract
Objective: This study was designed to assess and compare the efficacy of accelerating burn healing in diabetic rats using low-power visible and invisible lasers.
Background data: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been used in a number of diabetic animal and human studies, with both positive and no effects.
Materials and methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the study. Streptozotocin (70 mg/kg) was given for diabetes induction. A burn wound was created on the shaved back of the animals using a metal rod heated to 600°C. The study was performed using 532-, 633-, 670-, 810-, and 980-nm diode lasers. Incident doses of 5, 10, 20, and 30 J/cm2 and a treatment schedule of three times per week were used in the experiments. The burned areas on all rats were measured and plotted on a chart, and the slope values (mm2/d) and the percentages of burn healing were compared.
Results: The percentage of burn healing on diabetic rats after LLLT was 78.37% for the visible lasers and 50.68% for the invisible lasers. There was a significant difference (p 0.005) between visible lasers and invisible lasers in the percentage of burn healing on diabetic rats after laser therapy.
Conclusions: LLLT at the appropriate treatment parameters can accelerate burn healing on diabetic rats using both visible and invisible lasers. The effects of visible lasers were better than those of invisible lasers in accelerating burn healing on diabetic rats in this study.
Effect Of Low-Level Laser Therapy On The Healing Of Second-Degree Burns In Rats: A Histological And Microbiological Study
Bayat M, Vasheghani MM, Razavi N, Taheri S, Rakhshan M. Anatomy Department, Medical Faculty, Cell and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shaheed Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box 19395/4719, Tehran, Iran.
This paper presents the results of a study on the effects of two different doses of low-level laser therapy on healing of deep second-degree burns. Sixty rats were randomly allocated to one of four groups. A deep second-degree burn was inflicted in each rat. In the control group burns remained untreated; in two laser treated groups the burns were irradiated daily with low-level helium-neon laser with energy densities of 1.2 and 2.4 J/cm2, respectively. In the fourth group the burns were treated topically with 0.2% nitrofurazone cream every day. The response to treatments was assessed histologically at 7, 16 and 30 days after burning, and microbiologically at Day 15. The number of macrophages at day 16, and the depth of new epidermis at day 30, was significantly less in the laser treated groups in comparison with control and nitrofurazone treated groups (P=0.000).
Staphylococcus epidermidis was found in the 70% of rat wounds in the laser treated groups in comparison with 100% of rats in the control group. S. aureus was found in the 40% rat wounds in the nitrofurazone treated group, but there was not found in the wounds of laser treated, and control groups. It is concluded that low-level laser therapy of deep seconddegree burn caused significant decrease in the number of macrophage and depth of new epidermis. In addition, it decreased incidence of S. epidermidis and S. aureus.
Effects Of Low-Intensity Polarized Visible Laser Radiation On Skin Burns: A Light, Microscopy Study
Ribeiro MS, Da Silva Dde F, De Araujo CE, De Oliveira SF, Pelegrini CM, Zorn TM, Zezell DM. Center for Lasers and Applications, IPEN-CNEN/SP, Cidade Universitaria, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Objective: This study was carried out to investigate the influence of low-intensity polarized visible laser radiation on the acceleration of skin wound healing. Background Data: Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) at adequate wavelength, intensity, and dose can accelerate tissue repair. However, there is still unclear information about light characteristics, such as coherence and polarization. Some studies indicate that linearly polarized light can survive through long propagation distance in biological tissue.
Methods: Three burns about 6 mm in diameter were created on the back of rats with liquid N(2). Lesion "L(//)" was irradiated by He-Ne laser (lambda = 632.8 nm), D= 1.0 J/cm(2), with linear polarization parallel to the spinal column of the rat. Lesion "L(inverted v)" was irradiated using the same laser and dose, but the light polarization was aligned perpendicularly to the relative orientation. Lesion "C" was not irradiated in order to be considered as control. The animals were sacrificed at day 3-17 after lesion creation. Samples were collected and prepared for histological analysis.
Results: Histological analysis showed that the healing of irradiated wounds was faster than that of non-irradiated wounds. Moreover, it was observed that skin wound repair is dependent on polarization orientation with respect to a referential axis as the animal's spinal column.
Low Level Laser Therapy--A Conservative Approach To The Burn Scar?
Gaida K, Koller R, Isler C, Aytekin O, Al-Awami M, Meissl G, Frey M.
Department of Reconstructive and Plastic Surgery, Burn Unit, Division of Surgery, University of Vienna, Austria.
Burn scars are known to be difficult to treat because of their tendency to worsen with hypertrophy and contracture. Various experimental and clinical efforts have been made to alleviate their effects but the problem has not been solved. Since patients keep asking for Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) and believe in its effectiveness on burn scars, and since former studies show contradictory results of the influence of LLLT on wound healing, this prospective study was designed to objectify the effects of LLLT on burn scars.
Nineteen patients with 19 burn scars were treated with a 400 mW 670 nm Softlaser twice a week over 8 weeks. In each patient a control area was defined, that was not irradiated. Parameters assessed were the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) for macroscopic evaluation and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pruritus and pain. Photographical and clinical assessments were recorded in all the patients. Seventeen out of 19 scars exhibited an improvement after treatment. The average rating on the VSS decreased from 7.10+/-2.13 to 4.68+/-2.05 points in the treated areas, whereas the VSS in the control areas decreased from 6.10+/-2.86 to 5.88+/-2.72. A correlation between scar duration and improvement through LLLT could be found. No negative effects of LLLT were reported.
The present study shows that the 400 mW 670 nm softlaser has a positive, yet sometimes limited effect on burn scars concerning macroscopic appearance, pruritus, and pain.