The effects of photobiomodulation therapy on Staphylococcus aureus infected surgical wounds in diabetic rats. A microbiological, histopathological, and biomechanical study1
To evaluate the effects of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) at 685 nm on diabetic wound healing in rats suffering from bacterial infection induced by Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus).
Thirty streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats were allocated into two groups: control and PBMT. A 4-cm full-thickness linear-incision was made on the dorsal midline and was contaminated with S. aureus. The wounds in the PBMT group were irradiated daily for 5 consecutive days, starting 3 days after the induction and always in the mornings.
The result revealed that PBMT resulted in a significant decrease in S. aureus CFU in the PBMT group in comparison to the control group (P<0.05). The length of wounds, in the 2nd and 3rd weeks, in the PBMT group were significantly shorter compared to the control group (P<0.05). PBMT caused a significant increase in the histological parameters in comparison to the control group (P<0.05). Moreover, PBMT significantly increased the breaking strength of the surgical scars produced in the skin of the PBMT group when compared to the control group (P<0.05).
Photobiomodulation therapy may be useful in the management of wound infection through a significant bacterial growth inhibition and an acceleration of wound healing process.
