STIMULATIVE AND INHIBITORY EFFECTS OF LOW INCIDENT LEVELS OF ARGON LASER ENERGY ON WOUND HEALING

抄録

A study on the stimulative and inhibitory effects of low incident power densities of argon laser energy on wound healing in rats was undertaken. Our results were calculated at 80% of wound closure relative to control showed acceleration in healing days and size reduction were 22.9% and 41.9%, respectively, at the maximum stimulative dose of approximately 19 J/cm², and 8 J/cm² and -8.7% -14.8% at the optimum inhibitory dose of approximately 130 J/cm² for an elliptical (0.39 cm²) wound size with 3 times/week treatment schedule in 27 weeks old rats; doses of approximately 80 J/cm² showed zero bioactivation. Statistical analysis with the student’s t-test revealed significant differences between irradiated and unirradiated control wounds with dose variations up to 60 J/cm² and insignificant differences at higher doses. Wound acceleration was dose-dependent, increasing with the incident dose until it reached maximum, whereafter the stimulation effect disappeared and inhibition increased up to the maximum dose of around 130 J/cm². Calculated skin reflection losses in the region of 70% required higher dosages to detect this phenomenon. There was no appreciable temperature rise up to doses of 150 J/cm² for a power density of 80 mW/cm². Reduced effectiveness of wound shape and size were also noted at the higher inhibitory doses.