Diagnostic ultrasound is unable to enhance the rate of neoplastic transformation in cultured mammalian cells.
The ability of diagnostic pulsed ultrasound to induce heritable genetic damage of the type that could result in neoplasia was assayed using BHK21/cl 13 hamster cells or normal human fibroblasts as targets. Using an exposure apparatus carefully designed to minimize beam attenuation and reflection, cavitation, and heating, cells were exposed from 20 seconds to 40 minutes either to clinical machines operating at maximum power, or to a highly focused nonclinical transducer at 2900 W/cm2, or to 200 shocks from a lithotripter. No evidence of an increase in the frequency of neoplastically transformed BHK cells or in the frequency of mutant human cells was seen over those found in matched sham-exposed controls.
Tolsma
S S
SS
Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
Madsen
E L
EL
Chmiel
J
J
Martin
A O
AO
Bouck
N P
NP
D000818:Animals; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D006224:Cricetinae; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D016296:Mutagenesis; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography