• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.179-185
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• 2003

Purpose: To investigate the effects of irradiation on the phenotypic expression of the MC3T3-El osteoblastic cell line, particularly on the expression of osteocalcin and osteopontin. Materials and Methods: Cells were irradiated with a single dose of 0.5, 1,4, and 8 Gy at a dose rate of 5.38 Gy/min using a cesium 137 irradiator. After the specimens were harvested, RNA was extracted on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 21st day after irradiation. The RNA strands were reverse-transcribed and the resulting cDNAs were subjected to amplification by PCR. Results: The irradiated cells demonstrated a dose-dependent increase in osteocalcin and a dose-dependent decrease in osteopontin mRNA expression compared with the non-irradiated control group, The amount of osteocalcin mRNA expression decreased significantly at the 3rd day after irradiation of 0,5, 1,4, and 8 Gy, and also decreased significantly at the 3rd, 14th, and 21 st day after irradiation in the 8 Gy exposed group compared with the control group, The degree of osteopontin mRNA expression increased significantly at the 7th day after irradiation of 0,5, 1,4, and 8Gy, Conclusion: These results showed that each single dose of 0,5, 1, 4, and 8 Gy influenced the mRNA expression of osteocalcin and osteopontin associated with the calcification stage of osteoblastic cells, suggesting that each single dose affected bone formation at the cell level.