Abstract

Delayed wound healing is one of the complications of diabetes mellitus. Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been used to accelerate wound healing however the effect of LLLT on the hard palate wound healing in streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ-D) mice has not yet been characterized. This study aims to determine the effect of LLLT (He-Ne and Ga-Al-As laser) on the process of wound healing in the hard palate among diabetic and non-diabetic mice. 90 adult male mice were divided into six groups. Type 1 diabetes mellitus was induced in three groups by means of injection of STZ. Of these, one group was irradiated with He-Ne laser (DH group), one with Ga-Al-As laser (DG group) and one did not undergo any LLLT (DC group). The remaining groups were non-diabetic which were allotted to laser therapy with He-Ne laser (NH group) or with Ga-Al-As laser (NG group) or no LLLT (NC group). Five animals from each group were killed on the third, seventh, and fourteenth days after surgery, and biopsies were made for histological analysis. On the 3rd and 7th days after the surgery, the number of polymorphonuclear (PMN) cells in NH, DH, NG, and DG groups was significantly lower than that of the control groups. On the 3rd, 7th and 14th days, the fibroblasts and new blood vessel counts and collagen fibers in diabetic laser treated groups (DG and DH) were significantly higher compared to that of NC, DC, NH and NG groups. On the 7th and 14th days, the fibroblasts and new blood vessel counts and collagen fibers in NH, DH, NG, and DG groups were also significantly higher than that of the control groups, and the fibroblast and new blood vessel counts and collagen density fibers in NH and DH groups were higher than that of the NG and DG groups. LLLT with He-Ne laser compared to Ga-Al-As laser has a positive healing effect on hard palate gingival wounds in STZ-D mice.