The effects of therapeutic ultrasound stimulation on the inflammation cytokine in rat articular chondrocytes

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of therapeutic ultrasound (US) of cell viability and inflammatory cytokine in rat articular chondrocyte cultures stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Design: One group pretest-posttest design. Methods: Cultured chondrocytes were treated with US and/or LPS and assessed for viability, Tumor necrosis factor $(TNF)-{\alpha}$ and Interleukin (IL)-1 production. Results: Oxidative stress was induced in rat chondrocytes with LPS. The cell viability was decreased in chondrocytes after treatment with LPS. The viability revealed that low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) exerted no significant cytotoxicity in the rat chondrocyte. LIPUS inhibited decreased cell viability in the presence of LPS ($30{\mu}g/ml$) in a intensity dependent pattern at LIPUS (p<0.05). $TNF-{\alpha}$ production in the presence of LPS was also inhibited in a dose dependent manner (p<0.05 from $30mW/cm^2$). IL-1 production in the presence of LPS was inhibited as well (p<0.05 from $7.5mW/cm^2$). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that US was the anti-inflammatory effect of chondrocytes. LIPUS may exert its anti inflammatory effects through inhibition of $TNF-{\alpha}$ and IL-1 synthesis. These results suggest that US have potential for use as a pain relief and reduce the articular destruction.