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Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound promotes the expression of immediate-early genes in mouse ST2 bone marrow stromal cells

  • Original Article–Physics & Engineering
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

The effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on the expression of immediate-early genes (IEGs) in bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) were evaluated to elucidate the early cellular response to LIPUS.

Methods

Mouse ST2 BMSCs were treated with LIPUS (ISATA, 12–34 mW/cm2 for 20 min), then cultured at 37 °C. The expression levels of four IEGs (Fos, Egr1, Jun, and Ptgs2) and ERK1/2, a mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK), were assessed using real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot analyses, respectively.

Results

A single exposure of LIPUS at an intensity of 25 mW/cm2 significantly and transiently increased the expression levels of all four IEGs, and the peak expression was detected at 30–60 min after LIPUS stimulation. LIPUS exposure also significantly increased the phosphorylation level of ERK1/2. U0126, an inhibitor of MAPK/ERK, significantly prevented LIPUS-induced expression of Fos and Egr1, but not that of Jun and Ptgs2. On the other hand, treatment of the cells with LIPUS did not affect cell growth or alkaline phosphatase activity, a marker of osteoblast differentiation.

Conclusion

These results suggest that LIPUS exposure significantly induces expression of IEGs such as Fos and Egr1 via the MAPK/ERK pathway in ST2 BMSCs.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Nepa Gene Co., Ltd. for providing the ultrasound irradiating system. We would like to thank Profs Takashi Kondo, Nobuhiko Hoshi, and Kei-ichiro Kitamura for scientific comments and invaluable discussions. This study was supported in part by JSPS KAKENHI Grant Numbers JP26560205 and JP17K01353.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Molecular Genetics Research, Life Science Research Center, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama, 930-0194, Japan

    Yoshiaki Tabuchi & Tetsushi Hirano

  2. Graduate School of Innovative Life Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan

    Yoshiaki Tabuchi

  3. Graduate School of Science and Engineering, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan

    Hideyuki Hasegawa & Ryo Nagaoka

  4. Noto Marine Laboratory, Institute of Nature and Environmental Technology, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa, Japan

    Nobuo Suzuki

  5. Department of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Toyama Prefectural University, Toyama, Japan

    Yukihiro Furusawa

  6. Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, Toin University of Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan

    Shin-ichi Takeuchi

  7. Faculty of Health Sciences, Nihon Institute of Medical Science, Saitama, Japan

    Michihisa Shiiba

  8. Medical Ultrasound Laboratory, Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan

    Takashi Mochizuki

Authors
  1. Yoshiaki Tabuchi
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  2. Hideyuki Hasegawa
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  3. Nobuo Suzuki
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  4. Yukihiro Furusawa
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  7. Shin-ichi Takeuchi
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  8. Michihisa Shiiba
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  9. Takashi Mochizuki
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Correspondence to Yoshiaki Tabuchi.

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Conflict of interest

The ultrasound irradiating system used here is a product of Medical Ultrasound Laboratory Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan). Takashi Mochizuki is the representative director of that company.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Tabuchi, Y., Hasegawa, H., Suzuki, N. et al. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound promotes the expression of immediate-early genes in mouse ST2 bone marrow stromal cells. J Med Ultrasonics 47, 193–201 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-020-01007-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-020-01007-9

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