Objective: To examine the integrated dose-effect relationship of near-infrared (NIR) light-emitting diode (LED) light therapy in promoting bone defect repair in the rat model for osteoporosis (OP). Background: Low-intensity laser therapy has been shown to promote bone regeneration in OP rats. However, its integrated dose-effect relationship is not clear. Methods: Twenty-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to 11 groups: (1) no-treatment control group (C group), (2) tail suspension (TS)-induced disuse OP experimental group (TS-OP group), and (3) OP rats with LED light treatment at nine dosages (L1-L9 groups). The tail of the rat was tied and suspended on the beam of the cage to suspend their hind limbs to induce bone loss for 4 or 7 weeks. The rats were then released and returned to their regular positions. An NIR LED at 810 nm was used on the bilateral hind limbs daily for 4 weeks. The C group rats were not given any treatment. The TS-OP group rats were subjected to identical procedures with L groups, with the exception that the light power was not turned on. After the experiment, the dual-energy X-rays or the microcomputed tomography scan analysis was performed to evaluate bone tissue status. Data analysis was done using SPSS and the health scale. Results: The trabecular thickness, trabecular number, bone volume/total volume, and connectivity density of cancellous bone and the biomechanical properties of femur in light groups were significantly increased compared with the TS-OP group, while the trabecular separation and structure model index were significantly decreased. Conclusions: NIR LED light therapy may promote trabecular bone repair of TS-OP rats. Light intensity influences photobiomodulation. In our dose levels, the greater the light intensity, usually the more effective.
Keywords: geometrical mean; micro-CT; photobiomodulation; tail suspension.