The effect of low-power laser irradiation on bone formation in vitro were assessed. Osteoblast-like cells were isolated from rat calvariae of 21d rat fetuses. The cultured calvarial cells were irradiated with a low-power laser (830 nm, 60 mW) one time only or once daily for 21d at various energy doses (10.8-108 J/day). The number and the total area of mineralized bone modules that had developed in the culture dish on day 21 were evaluated. DNA content, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and the amount of extra-cellular collagen were also measured. Calcium and phosphorus in bone nodules were examined with an X-ray microanalyzer. Laser irradiation significantly increased the number and the total area of bone nodules in a dose-dependent manner. Cell proliferation and ALP activity in the irradiation group were higher in the early and middle culture periods, while the collagen content was higher in the middle an late periods compared with the control. Calcium and phosphorus were both higher in the irradiation group. These findings indicate that laser irradiation may play a principal role in stimulating differentiation of osteoblasts during the early stage of the culture, resulting in increased bone formation through acceleration of bone nodule maturation.
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