Irreversible electroporation-mediated shRNA knockdown of the HPV18 E6 gene suppresses cervical cancer growth and .

Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a physical, non-thermal cancer therapy, which leads to cell death via permanent membrane permeability. This differs from reversible electroporation (RE), which is used to transfer macromolecules into target cells via transient membrane permeability. Given the electrical impedance of the electric field, RE co-exists outside the central zone of IRE ablation.

Intense picosecond pulsed electric fields inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis of HeLa cells.

A picosecond pulsed electric field (psPEF) is a localized physical therapy for tumors that has been developed in recent years, and that may in the future be utilized as a targeted non‑invasive treatment. However, there are limited studies regarding the biological effects of psPEF on cells. Electric field amplitude and pulse number are the main parameters of psPEF that influence its biological effects.

[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.