Ultrashort wave (USW) therapy has been reported to alleviate cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury, however the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of non-thermal USW therapy on neuronal damage and expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) after cerebral IR in rats.

Focal ischemia-reperfusion (IR) was induced in Sprague–Dawley rats by middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (MCAO/R). The Ninety-two rats (both male and female) were screened using the Zea-Longa 5 grade evaluation. Included rats were then randomly divided into blank, sham, model 1-day, model 3-day, model 7-day, USW 1-day, USW 3-day, or USW 7-day groups. All rats in the model groups received sham USW treatment, while rats in the USW groups received USW treatment, for 1, 3, or 7 days. We assessed the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, brain infarction volumes, ultrastructural damage scores using electron microscopy, and HSP70 expression by western blotting between the different groups.

USW treatment reduced the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, infarction volume, and ultrastructural neuronal damage, and increased expression of HSP70, in the hippocampal CA1 region.

Non-thermal USW therapy may improve neurological function, decrease infarction volume, and reduce neuronal damage by increasing HSP70 expression following cerebral IR injury.