The antivascular action of physiotherapy ultrasound on a murine tumor: role of a microbubble contrast agent.

Abstract

This study investigated whether a microbubble-containing ultrasound contrast agent had a role in the antivascular action of physiotherapy ultrasound on tumor neovasculature. Ultrasound images (B-mode and contrast-enhanced power Doppler [0.02 mL Definity]) were made of 22 murine melanomas (K1735(22)). The tumor was insonated (I(SATA) = 1.7 W cm(-2), 1 MHz, continuous output) for 3 min and the power Doppler observations of the pre- and postinsonation tumor vascularities were analyzed. Significant reductions (p = 0.005 for analyses of color-weighted fractional area) in vascularity occurred when a contrast-enhanced power Doppler study occurred before insonation. Vascularity was unchanged in tumors without a pretherapy Doppler study. Histologic studies revealed tissue structural changes that correlated with the ultrasound findings. The underlying etiology of the interaction between the physiotherapy ultrasound beam, the microbubble-containing contrast agent and the tumor neovasculature is unknown. It was concluded that contrast agents play an important role in the antivascular effects induced by physiotherapy ultrasound.

• Authors: Andrew K W Wood, Ralph M Bunte, Jennie D Cohen, Jeff H Tsai, William M-F Lee, Chandra M Sehgal
• Journal: Ultrasound in medicine & biology (Ultrasound Med Biol) Vol. 33 Issue 12 Pg. 1901-10 (Dec 2007) ISSN: 0301-5629 [Print] England
• PMID: 17720299 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural)

Chemical References

• Contrast Media
• Fluorocarbons
• perflutren

Topics

• Animals
• Contrast Media (therapeutic use)
• Female
• Fluorocarbons (therapeutic use)
• Melanoma, Experimental (blood supply, diagnostic imaging, pathology, therapy)
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred C3H
• Microbubbles
• Neoplasm Transplantation
• Neovascularization, Pathologic (diagnostic imaging, pathology, therapy)
• Ultrasonic Therapy (methods)
• Ultrasonography, Doppler (methods)