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Decreasing the thresholds for electroporation by sensitizing cells with local cationic anesthetics and substances that decrease the surface negative electric charge

Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters volume 19, pages 65–76 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

The recently described method of cell electroporation by flow of cell suspension through localized direct current electric fields (dcEFs) was applied to identify non-toxic substances that could sensitize cells to external electric fields. We found that local cationic anesthetics such as procaine, lidocaine and tetracaine greatly facilitated the electroporation of AT2 rat prostate carcinoma cells and human skin fibroblasts (HSF). This manifested as a 50% reduction in the strength of the electric field required to induce cell death by irreversible electroporation or to introduce fluorescent dyes such as calcein, carboxyfluorescein or Lucifer yellow into the cells. A similar decrease in the electric field thresholds for irreversible and reversible cell electroporation was observed when the cells were exposed to the electric field in the presence of the non-toxic cationic dyes 9-aminoacridine (9-AAA) or toluidine blue. Identifying non-toxic, reversibly acting cell sensitizers may facilitate cancer tissue ablation and help introduce therapeutic or diagnostic substances into the cells and tissues.

Abbreviations

9-AAA:

9-aminoacridine

dcEF:

direct current electric field

EthBr2 :

ethidium bromide

FBS:

fetal bovine serum

FDA:

fluorescein diacetate

HSF:

human skin fibroblasts

IRE:

irreversible electroporation

PBS:

phosphate buffered saline with or without calcium and magnesium ions

RE:

reversible electroporation

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cell Biology, Faculty of Biochemistry, Biophysics and Biotechnology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Kraków, Poland

    Maciej Grys, Zbigniew Madeja & Włodzimierz Korohoda

Authors
  1. Maciej Grys
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  2. Zbigniew Madeja
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  3. Włodzimierz Korohoda
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Correspondence to Zbigniew Madeja or Włodzimierz Korohoda.

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Grys, M., Madeja, Z. & Korohoda, W. Decreasing the thresholds for electroporation by sensitizing cells with local cationic anesthetics and substances that decrease the surface negative electric charge. Cell Mol Biol Lett 19, 65–76 (2014). https://doi.org/10.2478/s11658-013-0114-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/s11658-013-0114-z

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Cellular & Molecular Biology Letters

ISSN: 1689-1392

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