He-Ne laser radiation effects on the membrane of human erythrocytes
Eugenia Kovacs; Mersini I. Makropoulou; Tudor Savopol; Roxana Pologea-Moraru; Alexander A. Serafetinides
Low level He-Ne laser radiation (633 nm) is currently used as an aiming beam in carbon dioxide laser surgery. However no systematic study was published yet concerning the interaction of He-Ne laser radiation with blood cells and tissues under surgery. In view of this, in the present paper, several methods were used to follow up the changes in the properties of the human erythrocyte membrane during and/or following the low level exposures to He-Ne laser beam compatible with those currently used in laser surgery (3 mW beam power, 2 mm beam diameter). It was found that no significant modification of membrane permeability to hemoglobin is obvious after short irradiation (up to 30 minutes) while osmotic fragility and membrane fluidity is increased (more in young than in old erythrocytes) even at these irradiation times.