Shen YuBing Y, Jethe Jyoti V, Reid Ashlan P, Hehir Jacob, Amaral Marcello Magri, Ren Chao, Hao Senyue, Zhou Chao, Fisher Jonathan A N
Department of Physiology, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY, USA.
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Commun Biol. 2025 Jan 6;8(1):12. doi: 10.1038/s42003-024-07356-2.
Non-invasive, low intensity focused ultrasound is an emerging neuromodulation technique that offers the potential for precision, personalized therapy. An increasing body of research has identified mechanosensitive ion channels that can be modulated by FUS and support acute electrical activity in neurons. However, neuromodulatory effects that persist from hours to days have also been reported. The brain's ability to provide blood flow to electrically active regions involves a multitude of non-neuronal cell types and signaling pathways in the cerebral vasculature; an open question is whether persistent effects can be attributed, at least partly, to vascular mechanisms. Using an in vivo optical approach, we found that microvasculature, and not larger vessels, exhibit significant persistent dilation following sonication without the use of microbubbles. This finding reveals a heretofore unseen aspect of the effects of FUS in vivo and indicates that concurrent changes in neurovascular function may partially underly persistent neuromodulatory effects.
非侵入性、低强度聚焦超声是一种新兴的神经调节技术，具有实现精准、个性化治疗的潜力。越来越多的研究已经确定了机械敏感离子通道，这些通道可被聚焦超声调节并支持神经元中的急性电活动。然而，也有报道称存在持续数小时至数天的神经调节效应。大脑向电活动区域提供血流的能力涉及脑血管系统中的多种非神经元细胞类型和信号通路；一个悬而未决的问题是，持续效应是否至少部分可归因于血管机制。通过体内光学方法，我们发现，在不使用微泡的情况下进行超声处理后，微脉管系统而非较大血管会出现显著的持续性扩张。这一发现揭示了聚焦超声在体内作用迄今未被发现的一个方面，并表明神经血管功能的同时变化可能部分构成了持续性神经调节效应的基础。
