M.Tech. / Low-intensity laser irradiation (LILI), also known as photo-biostimulation, is a type of phototherapy which is based on the application of low power monochromatic and coherent light mostly in the wavelength range of 600 to 1 000 nm to injuries and lesions to stimulate healing. LILI has been shown to increase adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis, cell proliferation (Silveira et al., 2007 and 2009; Hawkins and Abrahamse, 2006a) and collagen synthesis, and release of growth factors from cells (Eells et al., 2004). LILI has not been fully embraced and is mainly due to the fact that the biochemical mechanisms underlying the positive effects are not completely understood (Hamblin and Demidova, 2006). Though the mechanisms of photo-biostimulation on a variety of mitochondrial enzymes have been proposed and studied by different researchers, most of the mechanisms are based on oxygen consumption studies and lack direct experimental support (Chen et al., 2008). This project was designed to study the enzyme activity and expression of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes (I to V) post-irradiation with a wavelength of 660 nm and a fluence of 5 or 15 J/cm2 in isolated human skin fibroblast cells. Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a group of diseases marked by high levels of blood glucose resulting from defects in insulin production, insulin action or both. It is found worldwide and is estimated to affect 1.1% of the world population (World Health Organization, WHO, 2002). Estimates from 2009 by the International Diabetes Federation suggest that the number of adults with diabetes in the world will expand by 54%, from 284.6 million in 2010 to 438.4 million in 2030. The projected growth for sub-Saharan Africa is 98%, from 12.1 million in 2010 to 23.9 million in 2030 (Mbanya et al., 2010). Though DM is more common in industrialized countries, the trend is changing.