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. 2014 Jan 10;19(1):65–76. doi: 10.2478/s11658-013-0114-z

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

Maciej Grys 1, Zbigniew Madeja 1,✉, Włodzimierz Korohoda 1,✉
PMCID: PMC6275628  PMID: 24415057

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.

Key words: Selective sensitization of cells, Local cationic anesthetics, Cationic dyes, Irreversible electroporation, Reversible electroporation, Loading with fluorescent dyes, Cell viability, Flow through an electric field, Direct current electric field, Focused electric field

Full Text

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Abbreviations used

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

Contributor Information

Zbigniew Madeja, Phone: + 48 12 664 61 42, Email: z.madeja@uj.edu.pl.

Włodzimierz Korohoda, Phone: + 48 12 664 61 25, FAX: +48 12 664 69 02, Email: w.korohoda@uj.edu.pl.

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