Effects of Low Intensity Therapeutic Ultrasound on Endothelial Function

Endothelium is a cell layer that interposes blood and smooth muscle of vessels. This biological sensor reacts to physical and chemical stimuli by synthesis and/or liberation of regulatory substances like nitric oxide (NO), which acts on vascular tone, growth of muscle cells and platelet aggregation and leukocyte. Clinically, endothelial function measured by technique flow-mediated dilation (FMD) is a strong predictor of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality. Previo study demonstrated that continuous and pulsed therapeutic 1-MHz ultrasound waveforms improved endothelial function in health volunteers and this vasodilation persisted for 20 min, which provided them with anti-inflammatory vascular effects. In subjects with type 2 diabetes (DM2) the chronical hyperglycemia and dyslipidemia reduce NO bioavailability causing endothelial dysfunction. Low intensity therapeutic ultrasound is an electrotherapeutic instrument employed in musculoskeletal injuries that promotes endothelium-dependent vasodilation, and its mechanism of action has not been studied on DM2. The aim of our study is evaluate endothelial function of patients with DM2 after different waveforms (placebo, continuous and pulsed) of therapeutic ultrasound. Therapeutic ultrasound is a electrotherapeutic instrument that can changes arterial endothelial function of subjects with DM2 because of NO bioavailability increasing, which implies anti-inflammatory and vasodilatory beneficial alterations for diabetic patients.