In Vitro Wound Healing Potential of Photobiomodulation Is Possibly Mediated by Its Stimulatory Effect on AKT Expression in Adipose-Derived Stem Cells

Increasing evidence suggests that adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) serve as a therapeutic approach for wound healing. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of photobiomodulation (PBM) on antioxidant enzymes in ADSCs. Four ADSC cell models, namely, normal, wounded, diabetic, and diabetic wounded, were irradiated with 660 nm (fluence of 5 J/cm2 and power density of 11.2 mW/cm2) or 830 nm (fluence of 5 J/cm2 and power density of 10.3 mW/cm2). Nonirradiated cells served as controls. Cell morphology and wound migration were determined using light microscopy. Cell viability was determined by the trypan blue exclusion assay. The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure the levels of antioxidants (superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and heme oxygenase (HMOX1)). AKT activation and FOXO1 levels were determined by immunofluorescence and western blotting. The gaps (wound) in PBM-treated wounded and diabetic wounded cell models closed faster than the controls. PBM treatment significantly increased antioxidant levels in all cell models. This reflects that oxidative stress is reduced on the counterpart of increased antioxidant levels. This might be due to the activation of the AKT signaling pathway as evidenced by the increased AKT signals via western blotting and immunofluorescence. This data suggests that PBM promotes wound healing by increasing antioxidant levels by activating AKT signaling.