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High-power helium–neon laser irradiation inhibits the growth of traumatic scars in vitro and in vivo

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Abstract

This study explored the inhibitory effect of the high-power helium–neon (He–Ne) laser on the growth of scars post trauma. For the in vitro study, human wound fibroblasts were exposed to the high-power He–Ne laser for 30 min, once per day with different power densities (10, 50, 100, and 150 mW/cm2). After 3 days of repeated irradiation with the He–Ne laser, fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis were evaluated. For in vivo evaluation, a wounded animal model of hypertrophic scar formation was established. At postoperative day 21, the high-power He–Ne laser irradiation (output power 120 mW, 6 mm in diameter, 30 min each session, every other day) was performed on 20 scars. At postoperative day 35, the hydroxyproline content, apoptosis rate, PCNA protein expression and FADD mRNA level were assessed. The in vitro study showed that the irradiation group that received the power densities of 100 and 150 mW/cm2 showed decreases in the cell proliferation index, increases in the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase, and decreases in collagen synthesis and type I procollagen gene expression. In the in vivo animal studies, regions exposed to He–Ne irradiation showed a significant decrease in scar thickness as well as decreases in hydroxyproline levels and PCNA protein expression. Results from the in vitro and in vivo studies suggest that repeated irradiation with a He–Ne laser at certain power densities inhibits fibroblast proliferation and collagen synthesis, thereby inhibits the growth of hypertrophic scars.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the Daping Hospital for Third Military Medical University to provide funding for research. We thank our colleagues and students at Daping Hospital of Third Military Medical University who assisted with the intellectual and technical development of this research.

Author disclosure statement

The authors declare that there are no competing financial interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Institute of Field Surgery, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, No.10, Changjiangzhilu, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400042, China

    Bin Shu, Xiang-Ping Li & Wan-Ling Jiang

  2. Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, China

    Guo-Xin Ni

  3. Department of Traumatology, Institute of Field Surgery, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China

    Lian-Yang Zhang

  4. Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, 345 E. Superior St, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Li-Qun Zhang

  5. Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Li-Qun Zhang

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  1. Bin Shu
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  2. Guo-Xin Ni
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  3. Lian-Yang Zhang
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  4. Xiang-Ping Li
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Correspondence to Bin Shu.

Additional information

Bin Shu and Guo-Xin Ni have contributed equally to this work.

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Shu, B., Ni, GX., Zhang, LY. et al. High-power helium–neon laser irradiation inhibits the growth of traumatic scars in vitro and in vivo. Lasers Med Sci 28, 693–700 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-012-1127-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-012-1127-y

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