Effects of low-level laser therapy on the skin healing following thermal injury in Wistar rats

• Grant number: 12/21294-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2013
• End date: December 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Mariana Chaves Aveiro
• Grantee: Natália Peruchi Minatel
• Host Institution: Instituto de Saúde e Sociedade (ISS). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus Baixada Santista. Santos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Severe thermal injuries caused by scalding liquids are responsible for a great part of domestic accidents with children between 0 and 11 years old. Then, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of 660 nm laser therapy on the healing of thermal injuries over 45% of the body surface, standardized by body weight. Twenty Wistar male rats will be used. The animals will be distributed into 2 groups of 10 animals each: Control group (burned rats without treatment) and Laser-treated group (burned rats treated with laser therapy). The animals will be euthanized 14 days post-surgery. On the day of sacrifice, the animals will be sedated and the percentage of ulcer area will be calculated by the paper-template method. A mold of the ulcer area will be drawn on transparent paper. Subsequently, each mold will be digitalized, to determine the area of necrosis. After this procedure, a sample of the skin will be taken for histological and immunohistochemistry analysis.(AU)