Effect of Irradiation on Apoptosis, Cell Cycle Arrest and Calcified Nodule Formation of Rat Calvarial Osteoblast

Purpose: The study was aimed to detect the induction of apoptosis, cell cycle arrest and calcified nodule formation after irradiation on primarily cultured osteoblasts. Materials and Methods: Using rat calvarial osteoblasts, the effects of irradiation on apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and calcified nodule formation were studied. The single irradiation of 10 and 20 Gy was done with 5.38 Gy/min dose rate using the l37Cs cell irradiator at 4th and 14th day of culture. Apoptosis induction and cell cycle arrest were assayed by the flowcytometry at 1, 2, 3, and 4 days after irradiation. The formation of calcified nodules was observed by alizarin red staining at 1, 3, 10, 14 days after irradiation at 4th day of culture, and at 1, 4, 5 days after irradiation at 14th day of culture. Results: Apoptosis was not induced by 10 or 20 Gy independent of irradiation and culture period. Irradiation did not induced G1 arrest in post-irradiated ostedblasts. After irradiation at 4th-day of culture, G2 arrest was induced but it was not statistically significant after irradiation at 14th-day of culture. In the case of irradiated cells at 4th day of culture, calcified nodules were not formed and at 14th-day of culture after irradiation, calcified nodule formation did not affected. Conclusion: Taken together, these results suggest that irradiation at the dose of 10-20 Gy would not affect apoptosis induction of osteoblasts. Cell cycle and calcified nodule formation were influenced by the level of differentiation of osteblasts