Abstract

Objective: Ultrasound (US) is an imaging procedure with various applications, such as checking the fetus during pregnancy. To the best of our knowledge no study have investigated the simultaneous effect of diagnostic US waves and ethanol exposure on intracellular calcium (Ca2+i) processes and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, in the current study, we first aimed to investigate the impacts of diagnostic US during fetal life on Ca2+i and ROS in rats’ hippocampal cells; then whether the diagnostic US has intensified ethanol effects on these two variables. Materials and Methods: After mating, adult female Wistar rats were divided into six groups as follows: Control group, ethanol group (5 g/kg), groups that were exposed to diagnostic US at frequencies of 3 and 5 MHz for 10 minutes on the 11-13 days of pregnancy, and groups that underwent US waves accompanied with ethanol on the same term of pregnancy. Fourteen days after delivery, the offspring were anesthetized, the hippocampus was isolated, and Ca2+i was measured using the Flou 3-AM and fluorimetry instrument after cell culture. Results: The results showed that the diagnostic US with 3 and 5 MHz frequencies significantly increased Ca2+i levels up to 17.8% and 21.8 %, as well as ROS levels by 81.18% and 128.51% compared to the control group. In addition, Ca2+i levels in the groups with simultaneous exposure to ethanol and US with frequencies 3 and 5 MHz were 19.19% and 23.33% higher than the ethanol group. Besides, the amount of ROS in the groups with simultaneous exposure to ethanol and US with frequencies 3 and 5 MHz were 77.5% and 172.5% higher than the ethanol group, respectively. However, ethanol alone did not alter intracellular Ca2+i and ROS levels. Conclusion: It is concluded that diagnostic US with 3 and 5 MHz frequencies increase the Ca2+i and ROS rate, and it also intensifies the effects of ethanol on the Ca2+i and ROS levels. © 2022, Turkish Neurosurgical Society. All rights reserved.