Effect of ultrasound irradiation combined with liposome membrane microbubbles on the reorgnization of cytoskeleton in vascular smooth muscle cells / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effect of ultrasound irradiation combined with liposome membrane microbubbles on the reorgnization of cytoskeleton in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Methods Rat thoracic aortic VSMCs were cultured in vitro. VSMCs were exposed to 1 MHz continuous waves ultrasound radiation for 120 s at intensity 0.3 W/cm2in the presence of liposome membrane microbubbles (1 μl/ml) after treated with platelet derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB). The reorganizations of microfilaments, microtubules and intermediate filaments were examined by using immunofluorescence and fluorocytochemistry techniques. Results There was a substantial increase in the expression of F-actin and assembly of long bundles of stress fibers in the transversed cell body when treated with PDGF-BB. Neither alterations of β-tubulin nor of vimentin cytoskeletal protein organization were observed in PDGF-BB treated cells as compared to those of the contol group. After ultrasound irradiation combined with liposome membrane microbubbles, the expression of F-actin, β-tubulin and vimentin were reduced along with the simultaneous changes in microfilaments, microtubles and intermediate filaments array. Conclusions Ultrasound irradiation combined with liposome membrane microbubbles can induce significant changes in cytoskeleton structure of VSMCs cultured in vitro.