Nonthermal Effects of Nd:YAG Laser on Biological Functions of Human Skin Fibroblasts in Culture

✍ Scribed by R. Patrick Abergel; Cheryl A. Meeker; Richard M. Dwyer; Malcolm A. Lesavoy; Jouni Uitto

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 349 KB
• Volume: 3
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0196-8092
• DOI: 10.1002/lsm.1900030403

✦ Synopsis

Previous studies have indicated that laser can selectively affect the biological functions of cells. In the present study, the role of a thermal component in laserinduced alterations in the biology of human skin fibroblasts was examined. Cells were cultured on 96-well tissue culture plates, subjected to treatment with the Nd:YAG laser (wavelength 1,064 nm), and the temperature of the medium was monitored by a microprobe connected to a telethermometer. For comparison, parallel cultures were heated to the same temperatures by tungsten-halogen lamp. The cell cultures were analyzed for collagen synthesis by incubating the cultures with [3H]proline, and the collagen production was assayed by the synthesis of nondialyzable [3H]hydroxyproline. The rate of DNA replication was also determined by measuring the uptake of [3H]thymidine. A marked decrease of collagen production and thymidine incorporation was noted in the cultures subjected to Nd:YAG laser. No such decreases were noted in cultures heated to the corresponding temperatures by tungsten-halogen lamp. The results thus indicate that the biochemical alteration caused by the Nd:YAG laser in human fibroblast functions cannot be explained on the basis of thermal effects.