Heat shock protein expression in rat skeletal muscle after repeated applications of pulsed and continuous ultrasound

Nussbaum EL, Locke M. Heat shock protein expression in rat skeletal muscle after repeated applications of pulsed and continuous ultrasound.

Objective

To determine whether repeated ultrasound treatments are capable of increasing the expression of heat shock protein (HSP) 72 and HSP 25 in rat skeletal muscles.

Design

In vivo, experimental, controlled study.

Setting

Animal laboratory.

Animals

Male Sprague-Dawley rats (n=9).

Interventions

Ultrasound (1MHz, 15min, 2.0cm² transducer) continuous at 1.0W/cm² spatial average temporal average intensity (CONTUS) or pulsed at 2.0W/cm² spatial average temporal peak intensity 50% duty cycle (PULS50) was applied on 4 consecutive days to the lower leg muscles of 1 hindlimb in each rat (n=9).

Main Outcome Measures

Twenty-four hours after the final ultrasound application, hindlimb muscles were removed, weighed, and assessed for HSP 72 and HSP 25 content by Western blotting. Bands from blots were quantified and data were assessed using t tests (α=.05).

Results

Ultrasound did not affect core or contralateral hindlimb muscle temperature. Average muscle temperatures during the final day ultrasound treatments were 38.71°±0.30°C when using PULS50 and 38.16°±0.57°C when using CONTUS. PULS50 significantly increased HSP 25 content in the plantaris and soleus muscles and HSP 72 content in the plantaris muscles. CONTUS significantly increased HSP 72 content in the white gastrocnemius muscle.

Conclusions

HSPs can be induced in skeletal muscle when ultrasound is used on a repeated basis to treat soft tissue.