Effects of fluoride on the expression of c-fos and c -jun genes and cell proliferation of rat osteoblasts

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of sodium fluoride (NaF) on the expression of c-Fos and c-Jun genes and osteoblast cell proliferation of rat osteoblasts. METHODS: Osteoblastic cells were isolated from baby rat calvaria, and cultured in the presence of different doses of NaF (10(-5) mol/L, 10(-4) mol/L, and 10(-3) mol/L). Cell proliferation was measured by the MTT method, and c-Fos and c-Jun expression was detected by the immunohistochemistry combined with image analysis compute system. RESULTS: RESULTS: from the MTT assay showed that NaF increased the proliferation of rat osteoblast and induced the expression of c-Fos and c-Jun genes. The increases of c-Fos and c-Jun expression by the 3 different doses of NaF were 5.4%, 15.4% and 42.3% for the c-Fos gene and 12.1%, 14.4% and 38.6% for c-Jun gene respectively (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: NaF increased rat osteoblastic cell proliferation and the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation.