Guo Run, Chen Tian, Ding Fan, Liu Li-Ping, Chen Fang, Zhao Gang, Zhang Bo
Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, China.
Center of Gallbladder Disease, Shanghai East Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200120, China.
Bioengineering (Basel). 2025 Jun 30;12(7):716. doi: 10.3390/bioengineering12070716.
Gallbladder hypomotility is a key pathogenic factor in cholelithiasis. Non-invasive interventions to enhance gallbladder contractility remain limited. Ultrasound therapy has shown promise in various muscular disorders, but its effects on gallbladder function are unexplored.
This study employed low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) at a 3 MHz frequency and 0.8 W/cm intensity with a 20% duty cycle to irradiate the gallbladder region of fasting guinea pigs. Gallbladder contractile function was evaluated through multiple complementary approaches: in vivo assessment via two-dimensional/three-dimensional ultrasound imaging to monitor volumetric changes; quantitative functional evaluation using nuclear medicine scintigraphy (Tc-HIDA); and ex vivo experiments including isolated gallbladder muscle strip tension measurements, histopathological analysis, α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) immunohistochemistry, and intracellular calcium fluorescence imaging.
Ultrasound significantly enhanced gallbladder emptying, evidenced by the volume reduction and increased ejection fraction. Scintigraphy confirmed accelerated bile transport in treated animals. Ex vivo analyses demonstrated augmented contractile force, amplitude, and frequency in ultrasound-treated smooth muscle. Histological examination revealed smooth muscle hypertrophy, α-SMA upregulation, and elevated intracellular calcium levels. Extended ultrasound exposure produced sustained functional improvements without tissue damage.
Ultrasound effectively enhances gallbladder contractile function through mechanisms involving smooth muscle structural modification and calcium signaling modulation. These findings establish the experimental foundation for ultrasound as a promising non-invasive therapeutic approach to improve gallbladder motility and potentially prevent gallstone formation.
胆囊运动功能减退是胆石症的关键致病因素。增强胆囊收缩力的非侵入性干预措施仍然有限。超声治疗在各种肌肉疾病中已显示出前景，但其对胆囊功能的影响尚未得到探索。
本研究采用频率为3MHz、强度为0.8W/cm²、占空比为20%的低强度脉冲超声（LIPUS）照射禁食豚鼠的胆囊区域。通过多种互补方法评估胆囊收缩功能：通过二维/三维超声成像进行体内评估以监测体积变化；使用核医学闪烁显像（Tc-HIDA）进行定量功能评估；以及离体实验，包括分离的胆囊肌条张力测量、组织病理学分析、α-平滑肌肌动蛋白（α-SMA）免疫组织化学和细胞内钙荧光成像。
超声显著增强了胆囊排空，表现为体积减小和射血分数增加。闪烁显像证实治疗动物的胆汁运输加速。离体分析表明，超声处理的平滑肌收缩力、幅度和频率增加。组织学检查显示平滑肌肥大、α-SMA上调和细胞内钙水平升高。延长超声照射可产生持续的功能改善且无组织损伤。
超声通过涉及平滑肌结构改变和钙信号调节的机制有效增强胆囊收缩功能。这些发现为超声作为一种有前景的非侵入性治疗方法改善胆囊运动并潜在预防胆结石形成奠定了实验基础。
