Characterization of Pressure Transients Generated by Nanosecond Electrical Pulse (nsEP) Exposure

• DOI: 10.1038/srep15063
• Publication Date: 2015-10-09T09:37:57Z
• Authors: Caleb C. Roth; Ronald A. Barnes; Bennett L. Ibey; Hope T. Beier; L. Christopher Mimun; Saher M. Maswadi; Mehdi Shadaram; Randolph D. Glickman
• Keywords: Nanosecond; Sonoporation; Electrostriction

The mechanism(s) responsible for the breakdown (nanoporation) of cell plasma membranes after nanosecond pulse (nsEP) exposure remains poorly understood. Current theories focus exclusively on electrical field, citing electrostriction, water dipole alignment and/or electrodeformation as primary mechanisms pore formation. However, delivery a high-voltage nsEP to cells by tungsten electrodes creates multitude biophysical phenomena, including electrohydraulic cavitation, electrochemical interactions, thermoelastic expansion, and others. To date, very limited research has investigated non-electric phenomena occurring during exposures their potential effect nanoporation. Of interest is production acoustic shock waves exposure, it known that can cause membrane poration (sonoporation). Based these observations, our group characterized pressure transients generated determined if such played any role in In this paper, we show exposures, equivalent those used cellular studies, are capable generating high-frequency (2.5 MHz), high-intensity (>13 kPa) transients. Using confocal microscopy measure uptake YO-PRO®-1 (indicator nanoporation membrane) changing electrode geometry, alone not membrane.