title: Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Assisted in vitro Electroporation: A Pilot Study.
abstract: Electroporation is a phenomenon occurring due to exposure of cells to Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) which leads to increase of membrane permeability. Electroporation is used in medicine, biotechnology, and food processing. Recently, as an alternative to electroporation by PEF, Pulsed ElectroMagnetic Fields (PEMF) application causing similar biological effects was suggested. Since induced electric field in PEMF however is 2-3 magnitudes lower than in PEF electroporation, the membrane permeabilization mechanism remains hypothetical. We have designed pilot experiments where Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida lusitaniae cells were subjected to single 100-250 μs electrical pulse of 800 V with and without concomitant delivery of magnetic pulse (3, 6 and 9 T). As expected, after the PEF pulses only the number of Propidium Iodide (PI) fluorescent cells has increased, indicative of membrane permeabilization. We further show that single sub-millisecond magnetic field pulse did not cause detectable poration of yeast. Concomitant exposure of cells to pulsed electric (PEF) and magnetic field (PMF) however resulted in the increased number PI fluorescent cells and reduced viability. Our results show increased membrane permeability by PEF when combined with magnetic field pulse, which can explain electroporation at considerably lower electric field strengths induced by PEMF compared to classical electroporation.
authors.affiliation: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Institute of High Magnetic Fields, Vilnius, 03227, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Vitalij
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Novickij
authors.affiliation: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Institute of High Magnetic Fields, Vilnius, 03227, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Audrius
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grainys
authors.affiliation: Vilnius University, Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Vilnius, 03101, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Eglė
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lastauskienė
authors.affiliation: Vilnius University, Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Vilnius, 03101, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Rūta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kananavičiūtė
authors.affiliation: Vilnius University, Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Vilnius, 03101, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Dovilė
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pamedytytė
authors.affiliation: Vilnius University, Department of Biotechnology and Microbiology, Vilnius, 03101, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Lilija
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kalėdienė
authors.affiliation: Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Institute of High Magnetic Fields, Vilnius, 03227, Lithuania.
authors.forename: Jurij
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Novickij
authors.affiliation: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Ljubljana, SI-1000, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Damijan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miklavčič