Volume changes of isolated human K562 leukemia cells induced by electric field pulses

Abstract

Electropermeabilization of immobilized human leukemia K562 cells was studied by measuring changes in cell volume. Such changes reflect mass transfer between the cell and external medium. Electropermeabilization was carried out in an isosmotic water–sorbitol medium with a range of electric field strengths from 500 to 800 V · cm−1, corresponding to low‐energy levels. Electroporation of the K562 cell membrane was found to provoke an inflow of sorbitol and a corresponding osmotic inflow of water and/or an outflow of intracellular solutes due to Fick diffusion. Such flows were found to involve the shrinkage, swelling, or rupture of K562 cells, depending on the characteristics of the electric field and of the physiological state of cells. The behavior of immobilized cells was observed during their exposure to the electric field. The response in immobilized cell volume corresponded with the theoretical pore size and pore opening time, permitting an explanation of the behavior of cell suspensions subject to electrical fields. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 67: 520–528, 2000.

Electrotransfer at MR Imaging: Tool for Optimization of Gene Transfer Protocols—Feasibility Study in Mice

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Optimization and evaluation of electroporation delivery of siRNA in the human leukemic CEM cell line

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In vivo NMR imaging evaluation of efficiency and toxicity of gene electrotransfer in rat muscle

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