Effects of insonification on repairing the renal injury of diabetic nephropathy rats

Introduction Prolonged hyperglycemia in diabetes mellitus can result in the development of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and increase the susceptibility to kidney failure. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is a non-invasive modality that has demonstrated effective tissue repair capabilities. The objective of this study was to showcase the reparative potential of LIPUS on renal injury at both animal and cellular levels, while also determining the optimal pulse length (PL). Research design and methods We established a rat model of DN, and subsequently subjected the rats' kidneys to ultrasound irradiation (PL=0.2 ms, 10 ms, 20 ms). Subsequently, we assessed the structural and functional changes in the kidneys. Additionally, we induced podocyte apoptosis and evaluated its occurrence following ultrasound irradiation. Results Following irradiation, DN rats exhibited improved mesangial expansion and basement membrane thickening. Uric acid expression increased while urinary microalbumin, podocalyxin in urine, blood urea nitrogen, and serum creatinine levels decreased (p<0.05). These results suggest that the optimal PL was 0.2ms. Using the optimal PL further demonstrated the reparative effect of LIPUS on DN, it was found that LIPUS could reduce podococyte apoptosis and alleviate kidney injury. Metabolomics revealed differences in metabolites including octanoic acid and seven others and western blot results showed a significant decrease in key enzymes related to lipolysis (p<0.05). Additionally, after irradiating podocytes with different PLs, we observed suppressed apoptosis (p<0.05), confirming the optimal PL as 0.2 ms. Conclusions LIPUS has been demonstrated to effectively restore renal structure and function in DN rats, with an optimal PL of 0.2 ms. The mechanism underlying the alleviation of DN by LIPUS is attributed to its ability to improve lipid metabolism disorder. These findings suggest that LIPUS may provide a novel perspective for future research in this field.