Effect of low-power laser irradiation on procollagen synthesis in human fibroblasts

The conflicting views of the effect of low-power laser (LPL) irradiation on procollagen synthesis have existed at the present time, whereas many clinical studies have tested usefulness of LPL irradiation for the wound healing. To evaluate the effect of LPL irradiation on the procollagen synthesis of human fibroblasts in vitro, LPL irradiation on human fibroblast was carried out using two different culture medium, serum-starved medium and fetal calf serum (FCS)-contained medium. In addition, to investigate the mechanism of the LPL on the procollagen synthesis of human fibroblasts, dexamethasone and methylene blue contained medium were used for inhibition of procollagen product at the pretranslational level and cGMP-mediated processes, respectively. Enhanced effect of LPL was consistently observed in the serum-starved medium (50% increase by a 3 min irradiation), not in the FCS-contained medium. The LPL enhanced effect was not blocked by dexamethasone (3% inhibition) but methylene blue (40% inhibition). Our data suggest that some factors in FCS might interfere with the enhanced effect of LPL on procollagen synthesis and the LPL might act as a direct stimulator of the procollagen synthesis. It seems probable that the LPL enhanced effects might be occurred at the translational level or at the pretranslational level, which is not affected by dexamethasone and cGMP, might be involved in the LPL enhanced effect of the procollagen synthesis in fibroblast.