The Effect of Therapeutic Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound on the Modulation of Macrophage Phenotypes in Different Renal Diseases

OMAIMA MOHAMMED ABDELWAHED, M.D.1; HEND ABDALLAH, M.D.2; LAILA RASHED, M.D.3;, SARAH A.A. GOUDA, M.D.1; BASMA E. ABOULHODA, M.D.2;; TAREK SHOUKRY, M.D.1, MANSOUR A. ALGHAMDI, M.D.4,5; NIVIN SHARAWY, M.D.1; MIRA HANNA, M.D.1 And

doi:10.21608/mjcu.2025.445369

The Effect of Therapeutic Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound on the Modulation of Macrophage Phenotypes in Different Renal Diseases

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

SARAH A.A. GOUDA, M.D.1; BASMA E. ABOULHODA, M.D.2; OMAIMA MOHAMMED ABDELWAHED, M.D.1; HEND ABDALLAH, M.D.2; LAILA RASHED, M.D.3;
MANSOUR A. ALGHAMDI, M.D.4,5; NIVIN SHARAWY, M.D.1; MIRA HANNA, M.D.1 and TAREK SHOUKRY, M.D.1

The Department of Medical Physiology1, Anatomy Department2, Medical Biochemistry & Molecular Biology Department3, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Department of Anatomy4, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia and Genomic & Personalized Medicine Unit5, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia

10.21608/mjcu.2025.445369

Abstract

Background: Therapeutic low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been found to have anti-inflammatory effects in many diseases, attributed to its immune-modulating effects. Aim of Study: This study aimed to examine thepotential anti-inflammatory impact of LIPUS through modulation of macrophages’ plasticityin different acute kidney injury (AKI) models. Material and Methods: The study was conducted on 90 rats (250-300 gm body weight) which were divided into 3 groups: (a) Control group; (b) Untreated group including subgroups of different AKIs (Rhabdomyolysis, lipopolys accharide, and ischemia-reperfusion-induced AKI); and (c) AKI-treated with LIPUS group which was subdivided according to the previ-ously mentioned models. Renal functions, levels of cytokines (IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10), Macrophage -related markers (M1) (iNOS and CD38), and M2-related markers [arginase-1 (Arg-1), CD206, and FIZZ-1] expressions were assessed in renal tissues using Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) and real-time reverse-transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) respectively, in addition to histopathological exami-nations of renal tissue. Results: The study reported the ability of LIPUS to switch macrophages towards the M2 anti-inflammatory phenotype in different treated -AKI models with restoration of renal function and structure. Conclusion: LIPUS has anti-inflammatory properties via modulating macrophage towards M2 phenotype which could be a protective approach in mitigation of different models AKI.

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