Ultrasound Therapy: Modulation of Abdominal Fat and Triglyceride Levels in Rats
Abstract
Purpose of the study: This study aimed to investigate the effect of ultrasonic wave exposure with different intensity levels on abdominal circumference and blood triglyceride levels in white rats (Rattus norvegicus) as an experimental model for non-invasive fat reduction therapy.
Methodology: This study used an experimental in vivo pretest–posttest control group design involving 12 male Wistar rats. Ultrasonic therapy was administered using a 1 MHz ultrasound therapy device with three intensity modes for 4 minutes daily over 6 days. Abdominal circumference was measured using a measuring tape, while triglyceride levels were analyzed using a portable strip-based digital analyzer.
Main Findings: The results showed that ultrasonic wave intensity influenced abdominal circumference and blood triglyceride levels in white rats. Mode 2 intensity produced the greatest reduction in abdominal circumference by 6.50%, while Mode 3 most effectively suppressed the increase in triglyceride levels, with only a 0.02% increase. In contrast, the control group showed significant increases in both abdominal circumference and triglyceride levels.
Novelty/Originality of this study: This study provides a novel contribution by systematically comparing different ultrasonic intensity modes on both abdominal circumference and blood triglyceride levels simultaneously. The findings identify optimal intensity parameters for non-invasive lipid regulation therapy and expand current knowledge regarding the biophysical application of ultrasound technology in obesity and triglyceride management.
References
M. M. Taha, Y. M. Aneis, H. M. Mohamady, A. S A, and S. H. Elsayed, “Effect of focused ultrasound cavitation augmented with aerobic exercise on abdominal and intrahepatic fat in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A randomized controlled trial.,” PLoS One, vol. 16, no. 4, p. e0250337, 2021, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250337.
S. Sarma, S. Sockalingam, and S. Dash, “Obesity as a multisystem disease: Trends in obesity rates and obesity-related complications,” Diabetes, Obes. Metab., vol. 23, no. S1, pp. 3–16, Feb. 2021, doi: 10.1111/dom.14290.
X. Lin and H. Li, “Obesity: Epidemiology, pathophysiology, and therapeutics,” Front. Endocrinol. (Lausanne)., vol. Volume 12, 2021, doi: 10.3389/fendo.2021.706978.
J. Warner-Palacio et al., “Investigating the metabolic effects of ultrasound-induced lipolysis,” 2025. doi: 10.3390/ijms26178689.
D. J. Chartrand, A. Murphy-Després, N. Alméras, I. Lemieux, E. Larose, and J.-P. Després, “Overweight, obesity, and CVD risk: A focus on visceral/ectopic fat,” Curr. Atheroscler. Rep., vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 185–195, 2022, doi: 10.1007/s11883-022-00996-x.
M.-J. Lee and J. Kim, “The pathophysiology of visceral adipose tissues in cardiometabolic diseases,” Biochem. Pharmacol., vol. 222, p. 116116, 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.bcp.2024.116116.
A. D. Kaye et al., “Economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare facilities and systems: International perspectives,” Best Pract. Res. Clin. Anaesthesiol., vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 293–306, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.bpa.2020.11.009.
V. P. Leifer, J. N. Katz, and E. Losina, “The burden of OA-health services and economics,” Osteoarthr. Cartil., vol. 30, no. 1, pp. 10–16, 2022, doi: 0.1016/j.joca.2021.05.007.
M. A. Nagi et al., “Economic costs of obesity: a systematic review,” Int. J. Obes., vol. 48, no. 1, pp. 33–43, 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41366-023-01398-y.
P. Di Nardo et al., “Chemotherapy in patients with early breast cancer: clinical overview and management of long-term side effects,” Expert Opin. Drug Saf., vol. 21, no. 11, pp. 1341–1355, Nov. 2022, doi: 10.1080/14740338.2022.2151584.
Y. Ilan, “Overcoming compensatory mechanisms toward chronic drug administration to ensure long-term, sustainable beneficial effects,” Mol. Ther. Methods Clin. Dev., vol. 18, pp. 335–344, Sep. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.omtm.2020.06.006.
Marcus May, Christoph Schindler, and Stefan Engeli, “Modern pharmacological treatment of obese patients,” Ther. Adv. Endocrinol. Metab., vol. 11, p. 2042018819897527, Jan. 2020, doi: 10.1177/2042018819897527.
H. Khedmatgozar et al., “The effect of ultrasound cavitation in combination with cryolipolysis as a non-invasive selective procedure for abdominal fat reduction,” Diabetes Metab. Syndr. Clin. Res. Rev., vol. 14, no. 6, pp. 2185–2189, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.dsx.2020.10.034.
J. Maroon, S. Z. Hossain, and L. Mackenzie, “A systemic review of the ‘informed consent’ process for aesthetic cosmetic surgery procedures,” Am. J. Cosmet. Surg., vol. 41, no. 4, pp. 230–246, Dec. 2024, doi: 10.1177/07488068241260771.
A. Manzano-Finol et al., “Laser-assisted lipolysis: A promising alternative to traditional liposuction,” Aesthetic Plast. Surg., vol. 49, no. 19, pp. 5522–5531, 2025, doi: 10.1007/s00266-025-05056-8.
R. P. Cárdenas-Sandoval et al., “Effect of therapeutic ultrasound on the mechanical and biological properties of fibroblasts,” Regen. Eng. Transl. Med., vol. 9, no. 2, pp. 263–278, 2023, doi: 10.1007/s40883-022-00281-y.
L. Yuan, Q. Li, and Z. Li, “Effects of ultrasound for bio‐applications,” Adv. Sens. Res., vol. 3, no. 8, p. 2300199, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.1002/adsr.202300199.
V. Ostasevicius et al., “Development of a low-frequency piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer for biological tissue sonication,” 2023. doi: 10.3390/s23073608.
K. B. Bader et al., “Overview of therapeutic ultrasound applications and safety considerations: 2024 update,” J. Ultrasound Med., vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 381–433, Mar. 2025, doi: 10.1002/jum.16611.
K. B. Bader, I. R. S. Makin, J. S. Abramowicz, and B. C. of the A. I. of U. in Medicine, “Ultrasound for aesthetic applications: a review of biophysical mechanisms and safety,” J. Ultrasound Med., vol. 41, no. 7, pp. 1597–1607, Jul. 2022, doi: /10.1002/jum.15856.
C. Beiu et al., “Personalization of minimally-invasive aesthetic procedures with the use of ultrasound compared to alternative imaging modalities,” 2023. doi: 10.3390/diagnostics13233512.
Z. Alizadeh et al., “Non-invasive Body Contouring Technologies: An Updated Narrative Review,” Aesthetic Plast. Surg., vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 659–679, 2024, doi: 10.1007/s00266-023-03647-x.
P. Piłat et al., “Modern and non-invasive methods of fat removal,” 2023. doi: 10.3390/medicina59081378.
D. Bani, A. Quattrini Li, G. Freschi, and G. Lo Russo, “Histological and ultrastructural effects of ultrasound-induced cavitation on human skin adipose tissue,” Plast. Reconstr. surgery. Glob. open, vol. 1, no. 6, p. e41, Sep. 2013, doi: 10.1097/GOX.0b013e3182a7f222.
M. C. M. Aboy-Pardal et al., “Plasma membrane remodeling determines adipocyte expansion and mechanical adaptability,” Nat. Commun., vol. 15, no. 1, p. 10102, 2024, doi: 10.1038/s41467-024-54224-y.
Y. Geng, K. N. Faber, V. E. de Meijer, H. Blokzijl, and H. Moshage, “How does hepatic lipid accumulation lead to lipotoxicity in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease?,” Hepatol. Int., vol. 15, no. 1, pp. 21–35, 2021, doi: 10.1007/s12072-020-10121-2.
J.-H. Park, Y. Choi, J.-M. Shin, H.-W. Yang, S.-H. Jeong, and I.-H. Park, “Ultrasound cavitation: a reliable non-enzymatic method for adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell (ADSC) isolation.,” Stem Cell Res. Ther., vol. 14, no. 1, p. 153, Jun. 2023, doi: 10.1186/s13287-023-03383-8.
M. M. Sena, M. Marreira, G. P. de Almeida, M. Teixeira, M. M. D’Amico, and C. Pavani, “Can the use of photobiomodulation for localized fat reduction induce changes in lipid profile? A critical integrative review,” Lasers Med. Sci., vol. 38, no. 1, p. 23, 2022, doi: 10.1007/s10103-022-03662-5.
B. A. Shook et al., “Dermal adipocyte lipolysis and myofibroblast conversion Are required for efficient skin repair,” Cell Stem Cell, vol. 26, no. 6, pp. 880-895.e6, Jun. 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2020.03.013.
N. M. Abdel-Aal, M. S. E. M. Mostafa, J. W. Saweres, and R. S. Ghait, “Cavitation and radiofrequency versus cryolipolysis on leptin regulation in central obese subjects: A randomized controlled study,” Lasers Surg. Med., vol. 54, no. 7, pp. 955–963, Sep. 2022, doi: 10.1002/lsm.23555.
Y. J. Sohn and H. Chun, “Ultrasound and high frequency equipment efficacy for abdominal obesity reduction in women,” Sci. Rep., vol. 15, no. 1, p. 17500, 2025, doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-99361-6.
Q. Cao et al., “Irradiation of carotid baroreceptor with low-intensity pulsed ultrasound exerts different metabolic protection in perirenal, epididymal white adipose tissue and interscapular brown adipose tissue of obese rats,” FASEB J., vol. 34, no. 11, pp. 15431–15447, Nov. 2020, doi:10.1096/fj.202001550R.
M. He et al., “Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound improves metabolic dysregulation in obese mice by suppressing inflammation and extracellular matrix remodeling,” Ultrasonics, vol. 145, p. 107488, 2025, doi: 10.1016/j.ultras.2024.107488.
D. E. Yücel, A. A. P. van Emmerik, C. Souama, and J. Lancee, “Comparative efficacy of imagery rehearsal therapy and prazosin in the treatment of trauma-related nightmares in adults: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials,” Sleep Med. Rev., vol. 50, p. 101248, 2020, doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2019.101248.
K. Xu, K. Larsen, Y. Shao, M. Zhang, Z. Gao, and T. Moan, “Design and comparative analysis of alternative mooring systems for floating wind turbines in shallow water with emphasis on ultimate limit state design,” Ocean Eng., vol. 219, p. 108377, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.oceaneng.2020.108377.
F. Schwendicke et al., “Cost-effectiveness of artificial intelligence for proximal caries detection,” J. Dent. Res., vol. 100, no. 4, pp. 369–376, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.1177/0022034520972335.
L. Chen et al., “The association of parameters of body composition and laboratory markers with the severity of hypertriglyceridemia-induced pancreatitis,” Lipids Health Dis., vol. 20, no. 1, p. 9, 2021, doi: 10.1186/s12944-021-01443-7.
Z. Xin et al., “Triglyceride glucose waist circumference and non alcoholic fatty liver disease: A systematic review and meta analysis,” BMC Gastroenterol., vol. 25, no. 1, p. 328, 2025, doi: 10.1186/s12876-025-03888-x.
M. E. Khamseh, M. Malek, R. Abbasi, H. Taheri, M. Lahouti, and F. Alaei-Shahmiri, “Triglyceride glucose index and related parameters (triglyceride glucose-body mass index and triglyceride glucose-waist circumference) identify nonalcoholic fatty liver and liver fibrosis in individuals with overweight/obesity,” Metab. Syndr. Relat. Disord., vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 167–173, Apr. 2021, doi: 10.1089/met.2020.0109.
B. Zhou, B. Y. K. Leung, and L. Sun, “The effects of low-intensity ultrasound on fat reduction of rat model,” Biomed Res. Int., vol. 2017, no. 1, p. 4701481, Jan. 2017, doi:.1155/2017/4701481.
E. M. Escauriza et al., “Collapse dynamics of spherical cavities in a solid under shock loading,” Sci. Rep., vol. 10, no. 1, p. 8455, 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-64669-y.
S. Ibsen, C. E. Schutt, and S. Esener, “Microbubble-mediated ultrasound therapy: A review of its potential in cancer treatment.,” Drug Des. Devel. Ther., vol. 7, pp. 375–388, 2013, doi: 10.2147/DDDT.S31564.
K. M. Spitler and B. S. J. Davies, “Aging and plasma triglyceride metabolism.,” J. Lipid Res., vol. 61, no. 8, pp. 1161–1167, Aug. 2020, doi: 10.1194/jlr.R120000922.
Copyright (c) 2026 Isnanniah Isnanniah, Rabiat Ohunene Ibrahim
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and acknowledge that the Schrödinger: Journal of Physics Education is the first publisher licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges and earlier and greater citation of published work.
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
.png)
