Noninvasive sub-organ ultrasound stimulation for targeted neuromodulation

Nat Commun. 2019 Mar 12;10(1):952. doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-08750-9.

Abstract

Tools for noninvasively modulating neural signaling in peripheral organs will advance the study of nerves and their effect on homeostasis and disease. Herein, we demonstrate a noninvasive method to modulate specific signaling pathways within organs using ultrasound (U/S). U/S is first applied to spleen to modulate the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway (CAP), and US stimulation is shown to reduce cytokine response to endotoxin to the same levels as implant-based vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). Next, hepatic U/S stimulation is shown to modulate pathways that regulate blood glucose and is as effective as VNS in suppressing the hyperglycemic effect of endotoxin exposure. This response to hepatic U/S is only found when targeting specific sub-organ locations known to contain glucose sensory neurons, and both molecular (i.e. neurotransmitter concentration and cFOS expression) and neuroimaging results indicate US induced signaling to metabolism-related hypothalamic sub-nuclei. These data demonstrate that U/S stimulation within organs provides a new method for site-selective neuromodulation to regulate specific physiological functions.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Liver / immunology
  • Liver / innervation
  • Liver / physiology
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Nude
  • Neural Pathways / immunology
  • Neural Pathways / physiology*
  • Neuroimmunomodulation / physiology*
  • Organ Specificity
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Spleen / immunology
  • Spleen / innervation
  • Spleen / physiology
  • Ultrasonic Therapy / methods*
  • Vagus Nerve Stimulation