Ultrasound Stimulation Potentiates Management of Diabetic Hyperglycemia

Chia-Hsuan Chang; Kang-Chih Fan; Yuan-Pin Cheng; Jung-Chih Chen; Gin-Shin Chen

doi:10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2023.01.012

Ultrasound Stimulation Potentiates Management of Diabetic Hyperglycemia

Ultrasound Med Biol. 2023 May;49(5):1259-1267. doi: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2023.01.012. Epub 2023 Feb 19.

Authors

Chia-Hsuan Chang¹, Kang-Chih Fan², Yuan-Pin Cheng³, Jung-Chih Chen⁴, Gin-Shin Chen⁵

Affiliations

¹ Graduate Degree Program of the College of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County, Taiwan.
² Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital Hsinchu Branch, Hsinchu City, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medicine, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei City, Taiwan.
³ Electronic Systems Research Division, National Chung-Shan Institute of Technology, Taoyuan City, Taiwan.
⁴ Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan; Catholic Mercy Hospital, Catholic Mercy Medical Foundation, Hsinchu County, Taiwan; Medical Device Innovation & Translation Center, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan.
⁵ Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine, National Health Research Institutes, Miaoli County, Taiwan; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City, Taiwan. Electronic address: gschen@nhri.edu.tw.

PMID: 36801179
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2023.01.012

Abstract

Objective: Glucose homeostasis is the only way to manage diabetic progression as all medications used do not cure diabetes. This study was aimed at verifying the feasibility of lowering glucose with non-invasive ultrasonic stimulation.

Methods: The ultrasonic device was homemade and controlled via a mobile application on the smartphone. Diabetes was induced in Sprague-Dawley rats through high-fat diets followed by streptozotocin injection. The treated acupoint CV12 was at the middle of the xiphoid and umbilicus of the diabetic rats. Parameters of ultrasonic stimulation were an operating frequency of 1 MHz, pulse repetition frequency of 15 Hz, duty cycle of 10% and sonication time of 30 min for a single treatment.

Discussion: The diabetic rats exhibited a significant decrease of 11.5% ± 3.6% in blood glucose in 5 min of ultrasonic stimulation (p < 0.001). After the single treatment on the first day, third day and fifth day in the first week, the treated diabetic rats had a significantly small area under the curve of the glucose tolerance test (p < 0.05) compared with the untreated diabetic rats in the sixth week. Hematological analyses indicated that the serum concentrations of β-endorphin were significantly increased by 58% ± 71.9% (p < 0.05) and the insulin level was increased by 56% ± 88.2% (p = 0.15) without statistical significance after a single treatment.

Conclusion: Therefore, non-invasive ultrasound stimulation at an appropriate dose can produce a hypoglycemic effect and improve glucose tolerance for glucose homeostasis and may play a role as adjuvant therapy with diabetic medications in the future.

Keywords: Adjuvant therapy; Beta-endorphin; Hypoglycemic effect; Portable ultrasound device; Type 2 diabetes; Ultrasound stimulation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Blood Glucose
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental* / complications
Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental* / therapy
Hyperglycemia* / therapy
Hypoglycemic Agents
Insulin
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Streptozocin / therapeutic use

Substances

Blood Glucose
Hypoglycemic Agents
Insulin
Streptozocin