title: The role of pH fronts in reversible electroporation.
abstract: We present experimental measurements and theoretical predictions of ion transport in agar gels during reversible electroporation (ECT) for conditions typical to many clinical studies found in the literature, revealing the presence of pH fronts emerging from both electrodes. These results suggest that pH fronts are immediate and substantial. Since they might give rise to tissue necrosis, an unwanted condition in clinical applications of ECT as well as in irreversible electroporation (IRE) and in electrogenetherapy (EGT), it is important to quantify their extent and evolution. Here, a tracking technique is used to follow the space-time evolution of these pH fronts. It is found that they scale in time as t(½), characteristic of a predominantly diffusive process. Comparing ECT pH fronts with those arising in electrotherapy (EChT), another treatment applying constant electric fields whose main goal is tissue necrosis, a striking result is observed: anodic acidification is larger in ECT than in EChT, suggesting that tissue necrosis could also be greater. Ways to minimize these adverse effects in ECT are suggested.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Sistemas Complejos, Departamento de Computacion, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Turjanski
authors.forename: Nahuel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Olaiz
authors.forename: Felipe
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Maglietti
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michinski
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Suárez
authors.forename: Fernando Victor
authors.initials: FV
authors.lastname: Molina
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marshall
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004563:Electrochemistry / Q000379:methods; D004566:Electrodes; D018274:Electroporation / Q000379:methods*; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D009336:Necrosis / Q000473:pathology; D010957:Plasmids; D013997:Time Factors