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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Induction of Adhesion-dependent Signals Using Low-intensity Ultrasound
Published on: May 8, 2012
Structural changes induced in proteins by therapeutic ultrasounds
C Marchioni1, E Riccardi, S Spinelli
1Dipartimento di Fisica, Università Di Roma Sapienza, Piazzale A. Moro 5, 00185 Roma, Italy.
Abstract:
The structural effect induced by therapeutic ultrasound on proteins in aqueous solution has been investigated with FTIR spectroscopy, UV-VIS spectroscopy, circular dichroism and light scattering. Six proteins (cytochrome, lysozyme, myoglobin, bovine serum albumin, trypsinogen, and alpha-chymotrypsinogen A) with different molecular weight and secondary structure have been studied. The experiment has been performed using an ultrasound source at resonant frequency of 1 MHz and sonication times of 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 min. A different behaviour of proteins under sonication depends on the dominant secondary structure type (alpha-helix or beta-sheets) and on the grade of the ordered structure. The results suggest that the free radicals, produced by water sonolysis, have an important role in the changes of structural order.
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