title: Cellular defibrillation: interaction of micro-scale electric fields with voltage-gated ion channels.
abstract: We study the effect of micro-scale electric fields on voltage-gated ion channels in mammalian cell membranes. Such micro- and nano-scale electric fields mimic the effects of multiferroic nanoparticles that were recently proposed [1] as a novel way of controlling the function of voltage-sensing biomolecules such as ion channels. This article describes experimental procedures and initial results that reveal the effect of the electric field, in close proximity of cells, on the ion transport through voltage-gated ion channels. We present two configurations of the whole-cell patch-clamping apparatus that were used to detect the effect of external stimulation on ionic currents and discuss preliminary results that indicate modulation of the ionic currents consistent with the applied stimulus.
authors.affiliation: Loyola University, New Orleans, LA, USA, akargol@loyno.edu.
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kargol
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Malkinski
authors.forename: Rahmatollah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eskandari
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Livingston
mesh_terms: D001692:Biological Transport; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism*; D004560:Electricity; D004566:Electrodes; D055724:Electrophysiological Phenomena; D006801:Humans; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels