Low Intensity Ultrasound Induces Epithelial Cell Adhesion Responses.

In this study, we investigated the cellular mechanosensitive responses to a low intensity ultrasound (LIUS) stimulation (ISATA= 1mW/cm2, pressure= 10kPa). The dose and temporal effects on the cell-substrate adhesion (CSA) at the basal level and on the cell-cell adhesion (CCA) at the apical level are reported in details. A model of mouse mammary gland epithelial cells (EpH4) and the phosphorylation of mechanosensitive 130 kDa Crk-Associated Substrate (p130CAS) as an indicator for cellular responses were used. The intensity of phospho-p130CAS was found to be dependent on LIUS stress level, and the p130CAS was phosphorylated after one-minute stimulation at CSA. The phospho-p130CAS was also found increased significantly at CCA upon LIUS stimulation. We confirmed that the cellular responses to ultrasound are immediate and dose dependent. Ultrasound affects not only CSA, but also CCA. An E-cadherin knockout (EpH4ECad-/-) model also confirmed that phosphorylation of p130CAS at CCA is related to E-cadherins.