The effect of micro-vessel viscosity on the resonance response of a two-microbubble system.

Clinical ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles remain intravascular and are between 1-8 µm in diameter, with a volume-weighted mean size of 2-3 µm. Despite their worldwide clinical utility as a diagnostic contrast agent, and their continued and ongoing success as a local therapeutic vector, the fundamental interplay between microbubbles - including bubble-bubble interaction and the effects of a neighboring viscoelastic vessel wall, remain poorly understood. In this work, we developed a finite element model to study the physics of the complex system of two different-sized bubbles (2 and 3 µm in diameter) confined within a viscoelastic vessel from a resonance response perspective (3-12 MHz).

Cardiac gene delivery using ultrasound: State of the field.

Over the past two decades, there has been tremendous and exciting progress toward extending the use of medical ultrasound beyond a traditional imaging tool. Ultrasound contrast agents, typically used for improved visualization of blood flow, have been explored as novel non-viral gene delivery vectors for cardiovascular therapy. Given this adaptation to ultrasound contrast-enhancing agents, this presents as an image-guided and site-specific gene delivery technique with potential for multi-gene and repeatable delivery protocols-overcoming some of the limitations of alternative gene therapy approaches.

Subharmonic resonance of phospholipid coated ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles.

Phospholipid encapsulated ultrasound contrast agents have proven to be a powerful addition in diagnostic imaging and show emerging applications in targeted therapy due to their resonant and nonlinear scattering. Microbubble response is affected by their intrinsic (e.g.

Fluid flow influences ultrasound-assisted endothelial membrane permeabilization and calcium flux.

The local fluid dynamics experienced by circulating microbubbles vary across different anatomical sites, which can influence ultrasound-mediated therapeutic delivery efficacy. This study aimed to elucidate the effect of fluid flow rate in combination with repeated short-pulse ultrasound on microbubble-mediated endothelial cell permeabilization. Here, a seeded monolayer of human umbilical (HUVEC) or brain endothelial cells (HBEC-5i) was co-perfused with a solution of microbubbles and propidium iodide (PI) at either a flow rate of 5 or 30 ml/min.

Stable Cavitation-Mediated Delivery of miR-126 to Endothelial Cells.

In endothelial cells, microRNA-126 (miR-126) promotes angiogenesis, and modulating the intracellular levels of this gene could suggest a method to treat cardiovascular diseases such as ischemia. Novel ultrasound-stimulated microbubbles offer a means to deliver therapeutic payloads to target cells and sites of disease. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of gene delivery by stimulating miR-126-decorated microbubbles using gentle acoustic conditions (stable cavitation).

The influence of inter-bubble spacing on the resonance response of ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles.

Ultrasound-driven microbubbles, typically between 1 and 8 µm in diameter, are resonant scatterers that are employed as diagnostic contrast agents and emerging as potentiators of targeted therapies. Microbubbles are administered in populations whereby their radial dynamics - key to their effectiveness - are greatly affected by intrinsic (e.g.

Hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, and hypolipidemic effects of hydroalcoholic extract of root on nicotinamide/streptozotocin-induced type II diabetic rats.

Background And Purpose: has been used to control diabetes in traditional medicine. This research was performed to study the antidiabetic, hepatoprotective, and hypolipidemic effects of root extract (EBRE) on streptozotocin/nicotinamide-induced type 2 diabetic male rats.

Experimental Approach: Type two diabetic animals were treated by three different doses of EBRE (100, 200, and 400 mg/kg), orally administered for 4 weeks.

Short-term effects of massage with olive oil on the severity of uremic restless legs syndrome: A double-blind placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Although the efficacy of olive oil massage has been established for different disorders, no studies have yet focused on the effect of olive oil massage on restless legs syndrome (RLS). In this study, we aimed to evaluate the short-term effects of massage with olive oil in reducing the severity of uremic RLS.

Methods: This double-blind placebo-controlled trial was conducted on 60 patients with uremic RLS (mean age: 51.