Effect of low-intensity focused ultrasound on endothelin-1, nitrogen monoxide and oxytocin receptor in the uterine tissues of Sprague-Dawley rats following abortion.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of low-intensity focused ultrasound on endothelin-1 (ET-1), nitrogen monoxide (NO) and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) levels in the uterine tissues of Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats following abortion. A total of 30 SD rats undergoing complete abortion were randomly divided into ultrasound irradiation and sham irradiation groups (15 rats per group). The rats in the ultrasound irradiation group were treated with low-intensity ultrasound (sound intensity, 2 W/cm2; frequency, 0.8 MHz) for 30 min daily for 5 consecutive days, and those in the sham irradiation group received sham treatment. The uterine tissue was removed to measure the levels of ET-1, NO and OXTR using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunohistochemistry, respectively. The ET-1 level in the uterine tissues was significantly higher in the ultrasound irradiation group compared to the sham irradiation group (P<0.05); however, the NO level was similar in the 2 groups (P>0.05). In the uterine myometrium and endometrium, the strong positive expression of OXTR was observed in the ultrasound irradiation group, which was significantly higher compared to the sham irradiation group (P<0.05). Low-intensity ultrasound could promote uterine involution by increasing ET-1 levels, modifying the balance of ET-1 and NO, and enhancing the expression of OXTR in the uterine myometrium and endometrium.