Abstract
To study the influence of HeNe laser irradiation on the collagen percentage in surgically-induced skin wounds in rats with and without alloxan-induced diabetes, by morphometric analysis of collagen fibers. 48 male Wistar rats were used, divided into groups: laser-treated diabetic (group 1); untreated diabetic (group 2); treated non-diabetic (group 3); and untreated non-diabetic (group 4). For groups 1 and 2, diabetes was induced by intravenous injection of alloxan (2,4,5,6-tetraoxypyrimidine; 5,6-dioxyuracil; Sigma), into the dorsal vein of the penis, at a rate of 0.1 ml of solution per 100 g of body weight. A wound was made on the back of all the animals. Groups 1 and 3 were treated with HeNe laser (4 J/cm2) for 60 s. One animal from each group was sacrificed on the 3rd, 7th and 14th days after wounding. Samples were taken, embedded in paraffin, stained with hematoxylin-eosin and Masson's trichrome, and morphometrically analyzed using the Imagelab software. The percentages of collagen fibers were determined from the samples from the euthanasia animals. The data were treated statistically using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Student t and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The significance level was set at 0.05 or 5%. The results obtained from the samples taken on the third, seventh and fourteenth days after wounding demonstrated that the laser-treated group presented a statistically significant (p<0.05) greater mean quantity of collagen fibers than in the non-treated group, both for diabetic rats (p = 0.0104) and for non-diabetic rats (p = 0.039). The low-power laser (632.8 nm) was shown to be capable of influencing the collagen percentage in skin wounds by increasing the mean quantity of collagen fibers, both for the diabetic and for the non-diabetic group.
Highlights
Healing is a complex process and has attracted the attention of researchers over the years, regarding factors that delay or hinder it
The objective of the present study was to determine the influence of low-power (632.8 nm) laser on the collagen percentage in skin wounds in diabetic and non-diabetic rats
There was a significant difference between the means for the collagen samples from the non-diabetic group (TND and untreated non-diabetic rats (UND)), collected on the third, seventh and fourteenth days
Summary
Healing is a complex process and has attracted the attention of researchers over the years, regarding factors that delay or hinder it. The most important repair failures are those that occur in the initial stages. These lead to accentuation of edema, reduced vascular proliferation and decreased quantities of cell elements such as leukocytes, macrophages and fibroblasts[1]. Such alterations in these events give rise to low collagen synthesis and contribute towards increased risk of infections among diabetic patients. Diabetes mellitus is a syndrome of multiple etiologies, characterized by the absence of insulin. It is estimated that there are more than 150 million people with diabetes in the world, and in Brazil the number is close to 12 million[2]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
