title: Transient suppression of gap junctional intercellular communication after exposure to 100-nanosecond pulsed electric fields.
abstract: Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) is an important mechanism that is involved and affected in many diseases and injuries. So far, the effect of nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) on the communication between cells was not investigated. An in vitro approach is presented with rat liver epithelial WB-F344 cells grown and exposed in a monolayer. In order to observe sub-lethal effects, cells were exposed to pulsed electric fields with a duration of 100ns and amplitudes between 10 and 20kV/cm. GJIC strongly decreased within 15min after treatment but recovered within 24h. Gene expression of Cx43 was significantly decreased and associated with a reduced total amount of Cx43 protein. In addition, MAP kinases p38 and Erk1/2, involved in Cx43 phosphorylation, were activated and Cx43 became hyperphosphorylated. Immunofluorescent staining of Cx43 displayed the disassembly of gap junctions. Further, a reorganization of the actin cytoskeleton was observed whereas tight junction protein ZO-1 was not significantly affected. All effects were field- and time-dependent and most pronounced within 30 to 60min after treatment. A better understanding of a possible manipulation of GJIC by nsPEFs might eventually offer a possibility to develop and improve treatments.
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steuer
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, Greifswald, Germany.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, Greifswald, Germany; Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Labohá
authors.affiliation: Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Babica
authors.affiliation: Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, Greifswald, Germany. Electronic address: juergen.kolb@inp-greifswald.de.
authors.forename: Juergen F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Kolb
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002450:Cell Communication; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004560:Electricity; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008297:Male; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D013997:Time Factors; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D018031:Connexin 43; C569044:Tjp1 protein, rat; D062826:Zonula Occludens-1 Protein; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D048051:p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases
keywords: Actin; Connexin 43; Cx43; GJIC; MAP kinase; nsPEF