Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound Promotes a Treg-Like Phenotype and Suppresses a Th17-Like Phenotype in CD4⁺ T Cells via YAP/TAZ Activation in vitro

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Introduction CD4 + T cell subpopulations, particularly T helper 17 (Th17) and regulatory T (Treg) cells, exhibit antagonistic functions and play essential roles in inflammatory responses. Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) are critical modulators of cell proliferation and differentiation. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) has been shown to regulate YAP/TAZ activity, but its role in Th17/Treg balance remains unclear. Methods CD4 + T cells were purified from rat peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) using magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS). The cells were then treated with low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) at a set of parameters (1.0 MHz, 20 mW/cm², 20% duty cycle, 2h/day for 3 days) optimized based on preliminary proliferation and apoptosis assays. The effects of LIPUS on the expression of key functional markers (Foxp3 for Treg-like cells and IL-17A for Th17-like cells) were evaluated by flow cytometry, quantitative PCR, and ELISA. The activation and subcellular localization of YAP/TAZ were examined using immunofluorescence staining. Furthermore, siRNA-mediated knockdown was performed to investigate the functional involvement of YAP/TAZ in the LIPUS-mediated effects. Results LIPUS treatment significantly increased the frequency of Foxp3-expressing cells while decreasing the frequency of IL-17A-producing

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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