Low-level laser therapy (904 nm) can increase collagen and reduce oxidative and nitrosative stress in diabetic wounded mouse skin

Background and Objective Over the last decade we have seen an increased interest in the use of Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) in diseases that involve increased oxidative stress. It is well established that hyperglycemia in diabetes elicits a rise in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production but the effect of LLLT remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether LLLT was able to improve oxidative/nitrosative stress parameters in the wound healing process in diabetic mice. Study Design/Materials and Methods Twenty male mice were divided into four groups: non-irradiated control (NIC), irradiated control (IC), non-irradiated and diabetic (NID), irradiated and diabetic (ID). Diabetes was induced by administration of streptozotocin. Wounds were created 120 days after the induction of diabetes in groups IC and ID and these groups were irradiated daily for 5 days (superpulsed 904 nm laser, average power 40 mW, 60 s). All animals were sacrificed 1 day after the last irradiation and histology, collagen amount, catalase activity, nitrite and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) were measured. Results Histology showed that collagen fibers were more organized in IC and ID when compared to NID group, and significant differences in collagen content were found in group ID versus NID. Catalase activity was higher in IC group compared to other groups (p < 0.001). TBARS levels were higher in IC versus NIC, but were lower in ID versus NID (p < 0.001). Nitrite was lower in both irradiated groups versus the respective non-irradiated groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions Delayed wound healing in diabetes is still a challenge in clinical practice with high social costs. The increased production of collagen and decreased oxidative and nitrosative stress suggests that LLLT may be a viable therapeutic alternative in diabetic wound healing.