Electroporation in Biological Cell and Tissue: An Overview

Abstract

In this chapter, basics and mechanisms of electroporation are presented. Most important electric pulse parameters for electroporation efficiency for different applications that involve introduction of small molecules and macromolecules into the cell or cell membrane electrofusion are described. In all these applications, cell viability has to be preserved. However, in some biotechnological applications, such as liquid food sterilization or water treatment, electroporation is used as a method for efficient cell killing. For all the applications mentioned above, besides electric pulse parameters, other factors, such as electroporation medium composition and osmotic pressure, play significant roles in electroporation effectiveness. For controlled use of the method in all applications, the basic mechanisms of electroporation need to be known. The phenomenon was studied from the single-cell level and dense cell suspension that represents a simplified homogenous tissue model, to complex biological tissues. In the latter, different cell types and electric conductivity that change during the course of electric pulse application can significantly affect the effectiveness of the treatment. For such a complex situation, the design and use of suitable electrodes and theoretical modeling of electric field distribution within the tissue are essential. Electroporation as a universal method applicable to different cell types is used for different purposes. In medicine it is used for electrochemotherapy and genetherapy. In biotechnology it is used for water and liquid food sterilization and for transfection of bacteria, yeast, plant protoplast, and intact plant tissue. Understanding the phenomenon of electroporation, its mechanisms and optimization of all the parameters that affect electroporation is a prerequisite for successful treatment. In addition to the parameters mentioned above, different biological characteristics of treated cell affect the outcome of the treatment. Electroporation, gene electrotransfer and electrofusion are affected by cell membrane fluidity, cytoskeleton, and the presence of the cell wall in bacteria yeast and plant cells. Thus, electroporation parameters need to be specifically optimized for different cell types.

Mass Transfer Enhancement by Means of Electroporation

“…The last phase, which takes place after electric pulse application, consist of pores resealing and lasts seconds to hours. Molecular transport across the permeabilized cell membrane associated with electroporation is observed from the pore formation phase until membrane resealing is completed (Kandušer and Miklavčič, 2008). Therefore, in PEF treatment of biological membranes, the induction and development of the pores is a dynamic and not an instantaneous process (Angersbach et al, 2002).…”

Optimizing electroporation assisted silver nanoparticle delivery into living C666 cells for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

“…With these so-called "electropores", for a moment, the cell membrane becomes highly permeable to exogenous substances in the surrounding media [9,10]. Although electroporation is a powerful delivery technique for many molecules [13,23], silver nanoparticles are not so easy to be delivered into living cells, because, on one hand, electroporation efficiency is influenced by many factors, such as voltage, pulse width, cell condition, operation temperature, serum concentration in electrical buffer [10][11][12]15] and on the other hand, silver nanoparticles have shown bad biocompatibility with living cells [2,24]. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to investigate the optimal electroporation parameters for obtaining the greatest delivery efficiency and at the same time ensuring cell viability.…”

An E-learning Application on Cell and Tissue Eletroporation

“…This method can be applied to many different types of human, animal or plant cells and tissues for different biomedical or biotechnological applications. In medicine this method is used in clinical electrochemotherapy of cutaneous and subcutaneous tumors and in non-viral gene electrotransfer for gene therapy and new medical applications are emerging at an increasing rate [2].…”

“…The electroporation pulse parameters can also be designed so as to trigger electrofusion of cells with electroporated membranes in fusogenic state. [2] The key role in electroporation effectiveness plays the local electric field distribution, which can be directly modified by electric pulses and electrodes [3]. Thus, for controlled use of the method in each particular electroporation mediated application the pulse parameters and electrodes need to be specifically optimized.…”

“…Based on simple graphical illustrations we demonstrated the influence of each of the pulse parameters, such as pulse amplitude, pulse number and duration, on electroporation of cells with different sizes, shapes and orientations with respect to the applied electric field. By using 3D animation we visualized the aqueous pore formation in cell membrane, which is most widely accepted model, among different theoretical models that describe cell membrane electroporation [2].…”