Histological Assessment of the Effect of Laser Irradiation on Skin Wound Healing in Rats

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate, from the histological point of view, the effect of diode laser irradiation on skin wound healing in Sprague-Dawley rats. Background Data: Various biological effects have been described in different studies after low-level laser therapy (LLLT). Methods: Two parallel fullthickness skin incisions were performed on the back of each rat (n = 49) and immediately sutured. After surgery, one wound of each rat was exposed to laser irradiation (continuous mode, 670 nm, daily dose 30 J/cm2), whereas the parallel wound was not irradiated and served as control. Both wounds were removed 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, and 168 h after surgery and routinely fixed and embedded in paraffin sections, stained with hematoxylin and eosin, van Gieson, periodic acid Schiff + periodic acid Schiff diastase, Mallory's phosphotungstic hematoxylin, and azur and eosin, and histopathologically evaluated. Results: As compared to nonirradiated control wounds, laser stimulation shortened the...