title: Irreversible electroporation of the pancreas in swine: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a novel, non-thermal method of tissue ablation using short pulses of high-voltage DC current to ablate tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  Irreversible electroporation of the pancreas was performed in four domestic female swine using two monopolar probes spaced 9-15 mm apart. Ninety pulses of 1500 V/cm were delivered for each ablation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All animals survived for their designated times of 2 h (n = 1), 2 days (n = 1) and 14 days (n = 2), respectively. No procedure-related complications occurred. Three animals in which probes had been spaced at intervals of 10 ± 1 mm showed evidence of irreversible ablation, with ablation height ranging from < 10 mm to 21 mm and ablation width ranging from < 10 mm to 16 mm by gross appearance and triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining. The only animal in which probes had been spaced at intervals of 15 mm did not show evidence of irreversible ablation at 2 weeks. This may be secondary to the wider probe spacing and relatively low voltage, which results in a mostly reversible form of electroporation without cell death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Irreversible electroporation appears to be a safe method for pancreas tissue ablation. Staining with TTC can predict the zone of IRE ablation within 2 h of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Rhode Island Hospital and the Warren Alpert School of Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. kcharpentier@lifespan.org
authors.forename: Kevin P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Charpentier
authors.forename: Farrah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Lelia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Noble
authors.forename: Brody
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Winn
authors.forename: Murray
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Resnick
authors.forename: Damian E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Dupuy
mesh_terms: D055011:Ablation Techniques / Q000009:adverse effects; D000681:Amylases / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018274:Electroporation; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D008049:Lipase / Q000097:blood; D009336:Necrosis; D010179:Pancreas / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D008049:Lipase; D000681:Amylases