Ultrasound in medicine & biology
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Ultrasound Med Biol · Jan 2013
Neuropathic tissue responds preferentially to stimulation by intense focused ultrasound.
We tested the hypothesis that neuropathic tissue is more sensitive to stimulation by intense focused ultrasound (iFU) than control tissue. We created a diffusely neuropathic paw in rats via partial ligation of the sciatic nerve, whose sensitivity to iFU stimulation we compared with sham-surgery and normal control paws. ⋯ Neuropathic rats preferentially withdrew their injured paw from iFU at smaller values of iFU intensity (84.2 W/cm(2) ± 25.5) than did sham surgery (97.7 W/cm(2) ± 11.9) and normal control (> 223 W/cm(2)) animals, with greater sensitivity and specificity (85% for neuropathic rats and 50% each of sham surgery and normal control rats). These results directly support our hypothesis as well as Gavrilov's idea that doctors may some day use iFU stimulation to diagnose patients with neuropathies.
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Ultrasound Med Biol · Jan 2013
Applications of exogenous mesenchymal stem cells and low intensity pulsed ultrasound enhance fracture healing in rat model.
The present study aimed to investigate the effects of combined treatment of exogenous mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and low intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on fracture healing by comparing LIPUS-MSC, MSC and control (CTL) groups. Radiography and quantitative callus width/area demonstrated that the MSC-LIPUS group had the best healing, MSC group the second and CTL group the poorest with significant differences among each at different time points. Micro-CT data supported that MSC-LIPUS had the highest bone volume/tissue volume. ⋯ These indicated that the combined treatment of MSCs and LIPUS was beneficial to fracture healing. Regenerative power and homing ability of MSCs were shown by promotion in fracture healing and locally found green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled MSCs at fracture calluses. This evidence reflects that co-treatment of MSCs and LIPUS may be developed as an intervention for delayed union or nonunion.