Diabetic rats skin wounds treated with heterologous fibrin sealant followed by photobiomodulation therapy

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is characterized by elevated blood glucose levels causing sometimes impairment of the body's ability to repair itself. Promising treatments for tissue repair have included photobiomodulation therapy and heterologous fibrin biopolymer (HFB). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of photobiomodulation therapy by LED, both as a standalone treatment and in conjunction with heterologous fibrin biopolymer in treatment of skin lesions of diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced using alloxan. Full-thickness skin wounds were induced on the backs of 56 Wistar rats, which were randomly allocated into four groups: control group, heterologous fibrin biopolymer group, photobiomodulation therapy by LED group, and photobiomodulation therapy by LED combined with heterologous fibrin biopolymer group. The treatments spanned two experimental periods, lasting 7 and 14 days. Notably, the HFB group exhibited results similar to those of the LED group concerning wound regression, while demonstrating superior resistance to healing. Interestingly, the LED + HFB group showed greater skin damage at 7 days, but an improved repair process at 14 days compared to the control group. The findings indicate that combining photobiomodulation by LED with HFB did not enhance wound healing in diabetic rats beyond the effects of each treatment alone. Both treatments were effective individually, with HFB showing particular strength in promoting collagen maturation and improving tissue biomechanical properties. This study contributes to the ongoing body of research on skin repair with this innovative HFB. Future clinical trials will be essential to validate this proposition.

Keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Heterologous fibrin biopolymer; Photobiomodulation; Rats; Tissue repair.