Polychromatic LED therapy in burn healing of non-diabetic and diabetic rats

• Published in: Journal of clinical laser medicine & surgery Vol. 21; no. 5; p. 249
• Main Authors: Al-Watban, Farouk A H, Andres, Bernard L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.10.2003
• Subjects: Animals; Burns - complications; Burns - radiotherapy; Burns - therapy; Diabetes Complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental; Male; Models, Animal; Phototherapy - methods; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Wound Healing - radiation effects
• ISSN: 1044-5471
• DOI: 10.1089/104454703322564451

We determined the effect of polychromatic light-emitting diodes (LED) in burn healing of non-diabetic and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. LEDs were used as the light source for phototherapy. The polychromatic LED is a cluster of 25 diodes emitting photons at wavelengths of 510-543, 594-599, 626-639, 640-670, and 842-879 nm with 272-mW output power. Age-matched, male Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 30) were used. Streptozotocin (70 mg/kg) was used for diabetes induction. Rat weight, hyperglycemia, and glycosuria were monitored for the first 3 days and weekly thereafter. Rats were anesthetized and shaved after 1 week of diabetes. Burn areas of 1.5 +/-.03 cm2 were created using a metal rod pre-heated up to 600 degrees C that was applied for 2 sec. Diabetic and non-diabetic rats were randomized into the following treatment groups: control, 5, 10, 20, and 30 J/cm2. Light treatment commenced after burn infliction and was repeated three times per week. Burn areas were measured daily. Burn healing was impaired significantly during diabetes by -46.17%. Polychromatic LED treatment using 5, 10, 20, and 30 J/cm2 incident doses influenced healing by 6.85%, 4.93%, -4.18%, and -5.42% in the non-diabetic rats; and 73.87%, 76.77%, 60.92%, and 48.77% in the diabetic rats, relative to their controls, respectively. The effect of polychromatic LED in non-diabetic rats was insignificant; however, it simulated the trend of stimulation and inhibition seen using low-level lasers. Significant stimulation observed in the diabetic rats demonstrated the usefulness of polychromatic LED in diabetic burn healing.