Low voltage pulses can induce apoptosis

Cancer Lett. 2008 Sep 28;269(1):93-100. doi: 10.1016/j.canlet.2008.04.019. Epub 2008 May 27.

Abstract

Electroporation is used for gene transfection, drug delivery, and cell fusion. While studies have shown that high voltage electroporation induces apoptosis in vitro, a strong electric field can lower cell survival rates. As there are no published reports which have examined apoptotic properties associate with low voltage electric charges, we demonstrated for the first time that consecutive low voltage pulses with a voltage lower than the membrane breakdown threshold of human cells can increase the membrane potential to the threshold required to induce electroporation. This led to apoptosis through caspase pathways. Moreover, necrotic cell damage was less than that caused by high voltage pulses. Therefore, low voltage electroporation can be a suitable anticancer method.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis*
  • Caspase 3 / physiology
  • Caspases / physiology
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Survival
  • Dactinomycin / analogs & derivatives
  • Dactinomycin / metabolism
  • Electroporation*
  • Humans

Substances

  • Dactinomycin
  • 7-aminoactinomycin D
  • CASP3 protein, human
  • Caspase 3
  • Caspases