Abstract:BACKGROUND: Low level laser therapy and cyclooxygenase-2 (ICOX2) selective inhibitors have been widely used to modulate inflammatory response; however, their effect on wound reepithelialization are not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the isolated and combined effects of low level laser therapy and ICOX2 in the reepithelization of skin incisional wounds in mice. METHODS: We induced a 1-cm wound on the back of each mouse, which were divided into four groups (N = 20): control, laser therapy, treated with celecoxib and combined therapy. The animals in the celecoxib and combined therapy groups were treated with celecoxib for 10 days before skin incision. The experimental wounds were irradiated with He-Ne low power laser (632nm, dose: 4J/cm2) in scanning for 12 seconds during three consecutive days in the laser therapy and combined therapy groups. The animals were sacrificed 3 days after surgery. Samples of the wounds were collected and stained (Masson's Trichrome) for histomorphometric analysis. RESULTS: Both the laser therapy group and the celecoxib group showed an increase in skin reepithelialization compared to the control group; however, the combined therapy group showed no differences. As for keratinization, the laser therapy and combined therapy groups showed a reduction in keratinocytes compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: The results show that the use of low level laser therapy and ICOX2 in isolation increases epithelial cells, but only low level laser therapy reduced skin keratinocytes. The combined treatment restores innate epithelialization and decreases keratinization in spite of accelerating wound contraction with improvement in the organization of the wound in the skin of mice. Keywords: Cyclooxygenase 2 inhibitors; Epithelial cells; Keratinocytes; Laser therapy; Wound healing Resumo: FUNDAMENTOS: A laserterapia de baixa potência e os inibidores seletivos da ciclooxigenase-2 (ICOX2) vem sendo muito utilizados para modular a resposta inflamatória, entretanto, os seus efeitos na reepitelização de feridas não são bem compreendidos. OBJETIVO: Avaliar os efeitos isolados e combinados da laserterapia de baixa potência e da ICOX2 na reepitelização de ferida incisional na pele de camundongos. MÉTODO: Foi induzida uma ferida de 1 cm no dorso de cada camundongo, que foram divididos em quatro grupos (N=20): Controle, Laserterapia, Tratados com celecoxib e Terapia conjugada. Os animais dos grupos celecoxib e Terapia conjugada foram tratados com celecoxib por 10 dias antes da incisão cutânea. As feridas experimentais foram irradiadas com laserterapia de baixa potência He-Ne (632nm, dose: 4J/cm2) em varredura, por 12 segundos durante três dias consecutivos nos grupos Laserterapia e Terapia conjugada. Os animais foram sacrificados no 3º dia de pós-operatório. Amostras das feridas foram coletadas e coradas (Tricromio de Masson) para análise histomorfométrica. RESULTADOS: Tanto o grupo Laserterapia, quanto o grupo celecoxib, mostrou aumento da reepitelização cutânea em relação ao grupo Controle,...