[Ca(2+) is an important mediator of nanosecond steep pulse-induced apoptosis in human ovarian cancer SKOV3 cells].

Objective: To explore the role of Ca(2+) in nanosecond steep pulse (NSP)-induced apoptosis of human ovarian carcinoma cell line SKOV3 in vitro.

Methods: The early apoptotic rate of SKOV3 cells treated with NSP was detected by Annexin V/PI double staining and flow cytometry. MTT assay was used to detect the viability of the cells pretreated with BAPTA-AM (0, 25, 50 and 100 µmol/L) chelation for 1 h to increase the intracellular free Ca(2+) prior to NSP exposure, and the cell morphological changes and caspase 12 expression were detected using Hoechst 33342 staining and Western blotting, respectively.

The effect of high frequency steep pulsed electric fields on in vitro and in vivo antitumor efficiency of ovarian cancer cell line skov3 and potential use in electrochemotherapy.

Background: Patients received electrochemotherapy often associated with unpleasant sensations mainly result from low-frequency electric pulse induced muscle contractions. Increasing the repetition frequency of electric pulse can reduce unpleasant sensations. However, due to the specificity of SPEF, frequency related antitumor efficiency need to be further clarified.

Steep pulsed electric fields modulate cell apoptosis through the change of intracellular calcium concentration.

A steep electric pulsed field with low intensity (150-250V/cm) and relative long time (10 min) was applied to adherent liver cancer cell line SMMC-7721 and the liver cell line HL-7702. Results showed that the electric field with intensity of 200 and 250V/cm could trigger cell apoptosis, whereas the SMMC-7721 cell was more sensitive to the electric stimulation than the HL-7702 cell. Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope (LSCM) was used to measuring the real-time change of cytosolic free Ca(2+) concentration.

[Impacts of steep pulsed electric fields on lymphatic capillaries in VX2 implanted breast cancer in rabbits].

Background & Objective: Electrochemotherapy mediated by electric pulse has become a multidisciplinary biomedical engineering technique in modern medical science. Its main mechanisms are enhancing the diffusion of chemotherapeutic drugs, antibodies, or genes into the inner part of tumor cells mediated by membrane-electropermeabilization caused by electric pulse. Our previous studies confirmed that steep pulsed electric field (SPEF) could irreversibly cause membrane electropermeabilization, and lead to death of tumor cells.

[Pathological studies of tissue damage in experimental rabbit liver cancer induced by energy controllable steep pulses].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of energy controllable steep pulses (ECSP) in the treatment of rabbit VX2 cancer implanted in livers.

Methods: A tumor model was successfully established using 30 rabbits. ECSP were applied to liver cancer in half of these rabbits and the rest were used as controls.

The stress reaction and its molecular events: splicing variants.

The growth of cells and tissues is regulated by stress. When body is injured, it manifests a large spectrum of metabolic, endocrine, and immune alterations, which is named stress reaction. Among them, the production of growth factors may play a critical role.