Phototherapy promotes healing of cutaneous wounds in undernourished rats.
BACKGROUND
Various studies have shown that phototherapy promotes the healing of cutaneous wounds.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of phototherapy on healing of cutaneous wounds in nourished and undernourished rats.


METHODS
Forty rats, 20 nourished plus 20 others rendered marasmus with undernourishment, were assigned to four equal groups: nourished sham, nourished Light Emitting Diode treated, undernourished sham and undernourished Light Emitting Diode treated. In the two treated groups, two 8-mm punch wounds made on the dorsum of each rat were irradiated three times per week with 3 J/cm2 sq cm of combined 660 and 890 nm light; wounds in the other groups were not irradiated. Wounds were evaluated with digital photography and image analysis, either on day 7 or day 14, with biopsies obtained on day 14 for histological studies.


RESULTS
Undernourishment retarded the mean healing rate of the undernourished sham wounds (p < 0.01), but not the undernourished Light emission diode treated wounds, which healed significantly faster (p < 0.001) and as fast as the two nourished groups. Histological analysis showed a smaller percentage of collagen in the undernourished sham group compared with the three other groups, thus confirming our photographic image analysis data.


CONCLUSIONS
Phototherapy reverses the adverse healing effects of undernourishment. Similar beneficial effects may be achieved in patients with poor nutritional status.
Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Saulo Nani
SN
Leite
Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Thiago Antônio Moretti de
TA
Andrade
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, USA.
Daniela dos Santos
Ddos S
Masson-Meyers
Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Marcel Nani
MN
Leite
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, USA.
Chukuka S
CS
Enwemeka
Universidade de São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.
Marco Andrey Cipriani
MA
Frade
D000818:Animals; D001706:Biopsy; D003094:Collagen / Q000032:analysis / Q000528:radiation effects; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D054023:Lasers, Semiconductor / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012883:Skin Ulcer / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000528:radiation effects*
D012709:Serum Albumin; D003094:Collagen