Background: Atherosclerosis poses a severe threat to human health. Most acute cardiovascular events result from the rupture of an atherosclerotic plaque, and macrophages play a crucial role in the progression.

Aims: In this study, we developed an experimental pulsed focused ultrasound device, and investigated its effectiveness on foam cells reduction in the early stage atherosclerosis.

Methods: Briefly, New Zealand white rabbits underwent intravascular balloon injury at the right common carotid artery, before being fed a 1.5% cholesterol-rich diet. After two weeks, the histopathology results showed macrophages foam cells-rich early stage atherosclerosis formation. Then treatment group underwent sonodynamic therapy with pulsed focused ultrasound (F= 1.1 MHz, I= 12 w/cm2 , Pulsed Duration= 23 ms) accompanied by emodin (50 mg/kg) administration.

Results: B-mode ultrasound and histopathology results showed a significant reduction in the mean value for macrophage foam cells content and wall mean thickness in the treatment group compared with the other groups (P < 0.05).

Conclusion(s): Enhanced apoptotic effect of emodin, induced by sonodynamic therapy accompanied by cytotoxic effect of inertial cavitation, induced by collapsed bubbles, can cause to reduce the macrophages foam cells in the early stage atherosclerotic lesion and significantly reduce the intima- media thickness. Emodin-mediated pulsed focused sonodynamic therapy may be a potential treatment to attenuate early stage atherosclerosis.

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ISTH Congress Abstracts - https://abstracts.isth.org/abstract/emodin-mediated-pulsed-focused-ultrasound-sonodynamic-therapy-of-early-stage-atherosclerosis-in-the-rabbit-common-carotid-artery/