Cellular damage in diabetic wounded fibroblast cells following phototherapy at 632.8, 830, and 1064 nm

Objective. This study aimed to establish if laser irradiation induces cellular and genetic damage. Background. Phototherapy has been shown to induce wound healing in diabetic wounds, however little information is known regarding light-induced damage. Methods. Diabetic wounded fibroblasts were irradiated with 5 or 16 J/cm2 at 632.8, 830, and 1064 nm. Damage was assessed by measuring membrane and DNA damages. Cellular migration was determined by microscopy. Results. Cells irradiated with 5 J/cm2 at 632.8 and 830 nm showed a significant decrease in DNA damage while all cells irradiated with a fluence of 16 J/cm2 showed an increase in membrane and DNA damages. Conclusion. This study showed that the comet assay and LDH release were sensitive enough to pick up changes in laser-irradiated cells. This study also showed that cellular and genetic damage inflicted on diabetic wounded cells was dependent on dose and wavelength and that cells are able to recover and respond.