Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is a promising therapy that has been increasingly explored in basic research and clinical applications. LIPUS is an appealing therapeutic option as it is a noninvasive treatment that has many advantages, including no risk of infection or tissue damage and no known adverse reactions. LIPUS has been shown to have many benefits including promotion of tissue healing, angiogenesis, and tissue regeneration; inhibition of inflammation and pain relief; and stimulation of cell proliferation and differentiation. The biophysical mechanisms of LIPUS remain unclear and the studies are ongoing. In recent years, more and more research has focused on the relationship between LIPUS and stem/progenitor cells. A comprehensive search of the PubMed and Embase databases to July 2020 was performed. LIPUS has many effects on stem cells. Studies show that LIPUS can stimulate stem cells in vitro; promote stem cell proliferation, differentiation, and migration; maintain stem cell activity; alleviate the problems of insufficient seed cell source, differentiation, and maturation; and circumvent the low efficiency of stem cell transplantation. The mechanisms involved in the effects of LIPUS are not fully understood, but the effects demonstrated in studies thus far have been favorable. Much additional research is needed before LIPUS can progress from basic science research to large-scale clinical dissemination and application.
Cell Proliferation ; Humans ; Signal Transduction ; Stem Cells/radiation effects* ; Ultrasonic Therapy/methods* ; Ultrasonic Waves

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on hematopoietic function in rats after combined chemotherapy with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide. METHODS: Eighty rats were randomized into control group and LIPUS group (=40) for treatment with intraperitoneal injection of doxorubicin (2 mg/kg)+cyclophosphamide (20 mg/kg) for 4 consecutive days and continuous irradiation with LIPUS for 7 days following the injections, respectively. The white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets counts in each group were measured at 0, 4, 7, 9, 11, 14 and 18 days after the start of drug administration. The pathological sections of the bone marrow were examined at 0, 4 and 11 days, and the flow cytometry was performed for detecting the cell apoptosis; qPCR was performed for detecting the expressions of SCF, ICAM-1, and VCAM-1 mRNAs, and ELISA was used to detect the expressions of IL-3 and GM-CSF. RESULTS: The white blood cell count was significantly higher in LIPUS group than in the control group ( < 0.05). Histopathological examination of the bone marrow revealed significantly increased hematopoietic tissue in LIPUS group ( < 0.05). Flow cytometry demonstrated an obviously lower cell apoptosis rate in the bone marrow in LIPUS group than in the control group ( < 0.05). Compared with those in the control group, the mRNA expression levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 as well as the protein levels of IL-3 and GM-CSF were significantly increased in LIPUS group ( < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS LIPUS can alleviate the hematopoietic damage after combined chemotherapy with doxorubicin with cyclophosphamide probably by increasing the expressions of ICAM- 1, VCAM-1, IL- 3, and GM-CSF.
Animals ; Bone Marrow ; Cyclophosphamide ; Doxorubicin ; Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation ; Rats ; Ultrasonic Waves

As a non-invasive approach, sonogenetics is applied to control neuronal activity. The mechanosensitive channel(MSC), which has low threshold of responding to ultrasound, may be the alternative solution. Sonogenetics is the technique that activates the MSC expressed in targeted neurons by low intensity ultrasound, thus achieve the neuromodulation. In this review, we introduce the mechanosensitive channel of large conductance, transient receptor potential, channels of the two-pore-domain potassium family, Piezo and the recent progress on their application in sonogenetics.
Biomechanical Phenomena ; Ion Channels ; metabolism ; Neurons ; Ultrasonic Waves

Abdominal ultrasonography uses the transmission and reflection of ultrasound waves to observe the internal organs through the abdominal wall and can visualize various abdominal anatomical structures. Abdominal ultrasound examinations are performed by gastroenterologists or other specialists in internal medicine and radiologists trained for this procedure. Thus far, abdominal ultrasonography has not been included in the standard education of gastroenterologists in Korea. On the other hand, abdominal ultrasonography is being used increasingly, making it necessary to establish a training program in Korea. Abdominal ultrasonography was established as an essential part of education for the resident training program in 2017. In addition, an educational accreditation system for the trainers of ultrasonography in the field of internal medicine, including gastroenterology, was developed in 2018. This article describes the development process of the educational accreditation system for trainers of ultrasonography.
Abdomen ; Abdominal Wall ; Accreditation* ; Education ; Gastroenterology ; Hand ; Internal Medicine ; Korea ; Specialization ; Ultrasonic Waves ; Ultrasonography*

Ultrasonography has increasingly moved from being a modality confined to the radiology department to an active diagnostic and therapeutic aid available to the head and neck at the point of patient care. However, the application of ultrasonography to the laryngeal disorder is very rare due to progressive age-related ossification of laryngeal cartilage and the presence of air in the lumen, which contribute to difficult conditions for transmission of the ultrasonic waves. The observation about the movements of larynx or surrounding structures is important to understand the physiology of phonation or swallowing and to diagnose the disease. Ultrasonography is a noninvasive and safe imaging technique that can be used to investigate the anatomic structures of the head and neck. Recently, the development of high-frequency ultrasonography makes it possible to apply the ultrasound in the evaluation of larynx.
Deglutition ; Diagnosis ; Head ; Laryngeal Cartilages ; Larynx ; Neck ; Patient Care ; Phonation ; Physiology ; Ultrasonic Waves ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVES: Glucocorticoid (GC) treatment inhibits activation of runt-related transcription factor 2 (Runx2), which is essential for osteoblast differentiation from stem cells. As a result, GC treatment results in bone loss, GC-induced osteoporosis (GIO), elevated fracture risk, and delayed bone healing. Bisphosphonates such as alendronate (ALN) are recommended for treating or preventing GIO, and lowintensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) facilitates fracture healing and maturation of regenerated bone. Combined therapy with ALN and LIPUS may stimulate cancellous bone healing in GIO rats. Here, we examined the effect of ALN and LIPUS on cancellous bone osteotomy repair in the proximal tibia of GIO rats. METHODS: Prednisolone (10 mg/kg body weight/day) was administered for 4 weeks to induce GIO in 6-month-old female Sprague-Dawley rats. Tibial osteotomy was then performed and daily subcutaneous injection of ALN (1-µg/kg body weight) was subsequently administered alone or in combination with LIPUS (20 min/day) for 2 or 4 weeks. RESULTS: ALN significantly increased bone mineral density (BMD) at 2 and 4 weeks, and ALN + LIPUS significantly increased BMD at 4 weeks. Bone union rates were significantly increased after 2 and 4 weeks ALN and ALN + LIPUS treatment. Lastly, ALN and ALN + LIPUS significantly increased the proportion of Runx2 positive cells at 4 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: ALN monotherapy and combined ALN and LUPUS treatment augmented BMD and stimulated cancellous bone repair with increased Runx2 expression at the osteotomy site in GIO rats. However, the combined treatment had no additional effect on cancellous bone healing compared to ALN monotherapy.
Alendronate* ; Animals ; Bone Density ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic* ; Diphosphonates ; Female ; Fracture Healing ; Humans ; Infant ; Injections, Subcutaneous ; Osteoblasts ; Osteoporosis ; Osteotomy* ; Prednisolone ; Rats* ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stem Cells ; Tibia* ; Transcription Factors ; Ultrasonic Waves*

HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) ablation is an emerging therapeutic modality that induces thermal coagulative necrosis of biological tissues by focusing high-energy ultrasound waves onto one small spot. This technique is at various stages of clinical applications in several organs. However, it has increasingly been used in the treatment of symptomatic uterine fibroids, a common condition affecting women. Since its first clinical use for symptomatic uterine fibroids, this technique has been recognized for safety, satisfactory therapeutic efficacy in symptom control, uterus-preserving ability, radiation-free nature, and because of the fact that it does not require hospitalization. Owing to its numerous benefits, HIFU ablation is currently one of the major therapeutic options for symptomatic uterine fibroids. In this review, several aspects ranging from the physical principle of HIFU to the long-term outcomes are summarized from the perspective of the clinical application for uterine fibroids.
Female ; High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation* ; Hospitalization ; Humans ; Leiomyoma* ; Necrosis ; Ultrasonic Waves

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of pulsed ultrasound (PUS) and pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) on the secretion of extracellular matrix from a culture complex during in vitro chondrogenesis.

METHODSAll the rat bone marrow mesen- chymal stem cell pellets were cultured in achondrogenic medium. Different intensities of PUS (100, 150, and 200 mW · cm⁻²) and PEMF (1, 2, and 5 mT) were applied to the cell pellets for 2 weeks. Group N was cultured without PUS and PEMF stimu- lation as control. The culture medium was collected after 2 weeks of culture. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to detect the type of collagen and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) in the culture medium.

RESULTSPUS increased the secreting-type collagen and GAG from cell pellets compared with group N (P < 0.05), whereas there was no difference in different intensities (P > 0.05). PEMF had no significant effect on the secretion of the type of collagen (P > 0.05). A PEMF of 1 mT had no significant effect on the secretion of GAG (P > 0.05). A PEMF 2 and 5 mT decreased the secretion of GAG (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONTo prevent the secretary of extracellular matrix may play a role in chondrogenic effect of PEMF.

Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; radiation effects ; Cells, Cultured ; Chondrogenesis ; radiation effects ; Electromagnetic Fields ; Extracellular Matrix ; Glycosaminoglycans ; Hematopoietic Stem Cells ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; radiation effects ; Rats ; Ultrasonic Waves

Low-intensity extracorporeal shockwave therapy (LI-ESWT) is a novel treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED). With the property of angiogenesis, LI-ESWT acts on vasculogenic ED by improving penile hemodynamics and endothelial function. LI-ESWT is proved to be safe and effective in the treatment of vasculogenic ED in various prospective clinical studies, including randomized, double-blind, and sham-controlled trails. With more multi-centered larger-sample randomized controlled trials, LI-ESWT will play a valuable role in the treatment of ED.
Erectile Dysfunction ; therapy ; High-Energy Shock Waves ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Male ; Penis ; physiopathology ; Prospective Studies ; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic ; Ultrasonic Therapy

The vast majority of the published papers dealing with the treatment of wounds in the past few decades reported that extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) used in wound repair is easy in manipulation, noninvasive, safe, effective, and well tolerated by patients. However, little is known about the mechanism of ESWT in wound healing to date. In this article, we reviewed the literature to identify the potential cellular and molecular mechanisms of ESWT in the process of wound healing, and the results of the literature showed that the mechanism of ESWT in promoting wound healing is the result of heterogeneous biological effects.
High-Energy Shock Waves ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Skin ; Soft Tissue Injuries ; therapy ; Ultrasonic Therapy ; methods ; trends ; Wound Healing ; physiology