The effect of photosensitizer drugs and light stimulation on osteoblast growth.

A promising new treatment in dentistry involves the photodynamic process, which utilizes a combination of two therapeutic agents, namely a photosensitizer drug and a low dose of visible light. We investigated the in vitro effect of low intensity laser irradiation (visible light irradiation at 670 nm) using doses ranging between 0.5 and 3 J/cm(2), combined with nanoemulsion (NE) of the photosensitizer drug aluminum phthalocyanine chloride (AlClPc), ranging from 0.5 to 5 μmol/L, on the growth and differentiation of osteoblastic cells isolated from rat bone marrow. Treatments using laser radiation of low intensity in dentistry are of great interest, especially in bucco-maxillofacial surgery and dental implantology, where this approach is currently employed to stimulate osteogenesis. In the presence of oxygen, the combination of these agents could induce cellular biostimulation, via an efficient noninvasive method. We have done the colorimetric MTT assay, collagen content, total protein content, ALP activity and bone-like nodule formation. We observed that an increased number of viable cells was evident upon application of a laser dosage equal to 0.5 J/cm(2) when combined with 0.5 μmol/L of AlClPc/NE, suggesting cellular biostimulation. It was possible to demonstrate that low intensity laser irradiation can play an important role in promoting biostimulation of osteoblast cell cultures. Therefore, whether biostimulation of osteoblastic cell cultures by photodynamic therapy or the cytotoxic effect of this therapy occurs only depends upon the light dose, and the results can be completely reversed.