Effect of Laser Photostimulation on the Healing of Third-Degree Burn wounds in Rats

Abstract

Background: Burns are one of the most common injuries in the world, most importantly during the wars, and the patients usually experience high levels of pain. Complications include both physical and psychological aspects as well as aesthetic concerns. Management comprises special strategies via specific treatment protocols. Treatment stages include: rescue and control of breathing rhythm, hemorrhage management, fracture closure, particle removal, infection control and control of body temperature. It has been suggested that laser therapy with low level energy could have a positive effect on wound healing process. Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of different wavelengths of Ga-As laser with blue (405 nm) and green (532 nm) wavelengths on the healing of third-degree burn wounds in Wistar rats. Materials and Methods: In this study, 36 male Wistar rats (8-weekold, weighting 250-300 g) were divided into three groups of equal numbers. All animals were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injections. Dorsal hairs were shaved and third-degree skin burns were created on the back of the animals by using a copper stamp. The stamp was warmed up first to 95˚C via a heater. Afterwards, the animals were randomly divided into the blue and green laser and control groups. The length and width of each wound were measured by a caliper and the area of the lesion was calculated on the first, third, seventh, tenth, fourteenth, seventeenth, and twenty-first days of the study. Six samples were taken from each group for pathobiological analysis. Results: A mild anti-inflammatory effect of blue laser was observed during acute phase, which could possibly accelerate wound healing during the first week of repair. Results of our study showed that using low-level laser therapy (LLLT) with green and blue wavelengths may accelerate the wound healing process as compared with the control group. Conclusions: The laser groups have a more rapid rate of wound contraction than the control group during the healing process of burns; however, the effect of LLLT on burn wound healing was neither statistically nor histologically significant. More studies should be performed to investigate other treatment protocols and prescriptions of soft laser to clarify its role in the treatment of wounds and burn injuries.