ABSTRACT
It is well accepted now that the e¤cacy of electroporation, a phenomenon that occurs in lipid membranes exposed to strong electric elds, depends on several physical and biological parameters (Wong and Neumann, 1982; Mir, 2001; Rols, 2006). ese are parameters of the electric eld (i.e., pulse amplitude, pulse duration, number of pulses, pulse repetition frequency, pulse shape, and electric eld direction) (Rols and Teissie, 1998; Vernhes et al., 1999; Kotnik et al., 2001a,b, 2003; Macek-Lebar and Miklavcic, 2001; Canatella et al., 2001; Pucihar et al., 2002; Faurie et al., 2004; Rebersek et al., 2007) and cell parameters that de ne the state of cells, their surroundings, and cell geometry (i.e., cell size and shape, temperature, osmotic pressure, etc.) (Rols and Teissie 1992; Rols et al. 1994; Kotnik et al., 1997; Bobrowska-Hagerstrand et al., 1998; Golzio et al., 1998; Pucihar et al., 2001). Cell parameters are diverse and usually cannot be controlled. erefore, in electroporation applications, the parameters of the electroporation signal are optimized to speci c cells, tissues, and most of all to achieving electroporation objectives. For example, in DNA transfection, the pulse amplitude is optimized to the speci c cell size to achieve reversible cell membrane electroporation and to the pulse duration to allow plasmid DNA membrane complex formation, which then leads to gene expression. Electroporation can be reversible or irreversible (Figure 16.1), where reversibility/irreversibility is related to cell survival/death. Reversible
16.1 Introduction ......................................................................................323 16.2Concepts of Electroporation Pulse Generation...........................326
