Impacts of ultrasound waves on the lipid order of the cell membrane

The membrane lipid order is a parameter of the plasma membrane fluidity. Mechanical stress changes the membrane fluidity of cells, which may trigger biological responses of cells. In this preliminary study, we evaluated changes in the lipid order of the cell membrane upon ultrasound exposure. Ultrasound exposure was associated with immediate and transient changes in both liquid-ordered and liquid-disordered phases. The results of this preliminary study suggest that the cell membrane, through changes in membrane physical properties, senses mechanical stress of ultrasound exposure.