The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and cigarette smoke on alveolar socket osteoclastogenesis signaling after tooth extraction, in rats. Sixty male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups with 15 animals each: Control Group (with right maxillary molar extraction - ME), Experimental I (with ME and LLLT), Experimental II (with ME and cigarette smoke) and Experimental III group (with ME, LLLT and cigarette smoke). Euthanasia was performed at 3, 7 and 14 days postoperative. qRT-PCR was used to evaluate expression of Tnfrsf11a (RANK), Tnfsf11 (Rankl) and Tnfrsf11b (OPG). Data were submitted to statistical analysis using two-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni test (α=0.05). There was an upregulation of RANK, RANKL and OPG genes over all the time of healing in Exp I group compared to control group. Exp II group showed a decreased expression of all genes over time, whereas Exp III genes expression were higher than Exp II values but lower than Control and Exp I values over time. The results of this study concluded that the LLLT had a positive effect, whereas cigarette smoke had a negative effect on RANK, RANKL and OPG gene expression in bone remodeling process.
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