Effect of photosensitizers pheophorbide a and protoporphyrin IX on skin wound healing upon low-intensity laser irradiation

The effect of photosensitizer with subsequent He-Ne (632.8 nm; 3 mW/cm2) laser irradiation on experimental skin wound healing has been studied. Pheophorbide a and protoporphyrin IX were used as photosensitizers. It was found that application of the photosensitizer and subsequent laser irradiation, first, decreased the amount and the functional activity of leukocytes in the wound exudate and, second, inhibited the SOD activity as compared with that of the control group. Moreover, pheophorbide and protoporphyrin practically did not affect the total healing period but decreased the length of the inflammation stage. It was supposed that these effects are related to generation of reactive oxygen species during irradiation.