Effect of low-intensity focused ultrasound on hippocampus of alcohol addicted mice: a preliminary study

Alcohol addiction is a chronic relapsing brain disorder characterized by significant neurobiological changes, particularly within the hippocampus, which mediates emotional regulation and reward-seeking behavior. Previous studies have shown that alcohol-induced neuronal injury contributes to withdrawal-associated anxiety and persistent alcohol preference. This study investigated the therapeutic effects of low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) on the hippocampus in a mouse model of alcohol addiction. Twenty-six male C57BL/6 mice were allocated to an alcohol-exposed group (n = 20) and a control group (n = 6). Following a 28-day modeling period, the alcohol group was randomly subdivided into a therapy group and a sham group. The therapy group received LIFU treatment, while the sham group underwent an identical procedure with the ultrasound transducer powered off. After seven days of treatment, the therapy group exhibited less severe anxiety symptoms upon alcohol withdrawal and a reduced preference for alcohol compared to the sham group. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration was significantly lower in the therapy group than in the sham group, but did not differ significantly from the control group. Hippocampal HE staining revealed more pronounced degeneration and apoptosis of granule cells in the dentate gyrus (DG) region in the sham group relative to the therapy group. These preliminary findings suggest that LIFU may modulate alcohol addiction by mitigating hippocampal neuronal injury.