title: Effects of therapeutic ultrasound on the nucleus and genomic DNA.
abstract: In recent years, data have been accumulating on the ability of ultrasound to affect at a distance inside the cell. Previous conceptions about therapeutic ultrasound were mainly based on compromising membrane permeability and triggering some biochemical reactions. However, it was shown that ultrasound can access deep to the nuclear territory resulting in enhanced macromolecular localization as well as alterations in gene and protein expression. Recently, we have reported on the occurrence of DNA double-strand breaks in different human cell lines exposed to ultrasound in vitro with some insight into the subsequent DNA damage response and repair pathways. The impact of these observed effects again sways between extremes. It could be advantageous if employed in gene therapy, wound and bone fracture-accelerated healing to promote cellular proliferation, or in cancer eradication if the DNA lesions would culminate in cell death. However, it could be a worrying sign if they were penultimate to further cellular adaptations to stresses and thus shaking the safety of ultrasound application in diagnosis and therapy. In this review, an overview of the rationale of therapeutic ultrasound and the salient knowledge on ultrasound-induced effects on the nucleus and genomic DNA will be presented. The implications of the findings will be discussed hopefully to provide guidance to future ultrasound research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukihiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Furusawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan; Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, Kasr Al-Aini str., Cairo 11562, Egypt. Electronic address: mariame@med.u-toyama.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Mariame A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hassan
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Qing-Li
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryohei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.affiliation: Division of Molecular Genetics Research, Life Science Research Center, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tabuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Toyama, Sugitani 2630, Toyama 930-0194, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D016678:Genome; D006801:Humans; D014464:Ultrasonic Therapy / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: Cavitation; DNA damage repair response; DNA strand breaks; Free radicals; Mechanical effects; Therapeutic ultrasound