Electroporation of Cell Suspension
An intense electric field can be applied to increase the conductivity of cell suspension and consequently, the membrane conductance (Gm). This phenomenon is called electroporation. This mechanism is used in a wide range of medical applications, genetic engineering, and therapies. Conductivity measurements of cell suspensions were carried out during application of electric fields.
Understanding the increase of cell suspension conductivity may be help us provide a safety therapies of the electroporation.
(A) Erythrocyte suspensions with cell volume fractions p=0.07 (0.51×106 cells/ml), the white and blach arrows shows the biconcave shape of red blood cells. (B) Spherical erythrocytes (spherocytes) were prepared. The spherocytes can eliminate morphological complication in theoretical analysis.
(A) Cells control (no electroporation), small portion of appearance of a fluorescent dye in the suspensions. (B) Appearance of a fluorescent dye in the cells (after electroporation).
Conductivity of cell suspension during pulses of 500 ms. The conductivity change with pulses of 100 kV/m and over.
Papers:
RAMOS, A. ; SCHNEIDER, A. ; SUZUKI, D. O.H. ; MARQUES, J. L. B. Sinusoidal Signal Analysis of Electroporation in Biological Cells. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering (Print), v. 59, p. 2965-2973, 2012.[IEEE2012]
SUZUKI, D. O.H. ; RAMOS, A. ; RIBEIRO, M. C. M. ; Cazarolli, L. H. ; SILVA, F. R. M. B. ; LEITE, L. D. ; MARQUES, J. L. B. Theoretical and experimental analysis of electroporated membrane conductance in cell suspension. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering (Print), v. 58, p. 3310-3318, 2011.[IEEE2011]
RAMOS, A. ; SUZUKI, D. O.H. ; MARQUES, J. L. B. Numerical Simulation of Electroporation in Spherical Cells. Artificial Organs, Blackwell Publishing, Inc., v. 28, n.4, p. 357-361, 2004.