Induction of apoptosis of liver cancer cells by nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs).

The application of nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEFs) is a novel method to induce the death of cancer cells. NsPEFs could directly function on the cell membrane and activate the apoptosis pathways, then induce apoptosis in various cell lines. However, the nsPEFs-inducing-apoptosis action sites and the exact pathways are not clear now.

Irreversible electroporation and apoptosis in human liver cancer cells induced by nanosecond electric pulses.

The goal of this study was to assess the effect of nanosecond electric pulses on HepG2 human liver cancer cells. Electric pulses with a high strength of 10 kV/cm, duration of 500 ns and frequency of 1 Hz were applied to the cells. After delivery of electric pulses, apoptosis, intracellular calcium ion concentrations, transmembrane mitochondrial potentials, electropermeabilization and recovery from electropermeabilization in cells were investigated.

[Effects of electric pulses on liver cancer cells: apoptosis induction and decrease of mitochondrial transmembrane potential].

In order to investigate the effects of electric pulses on cancer cells, we carried out the experiments with exposing HepG2 and L02 to electric pulses (1 kV/cm, l00 micros, 1 Hz) for different lengths of time (8 s, 15 s, 30 s, 60 s). Annexin V-FITC Kit and Flow cytometry were used to study the apoptosis of treated cells. The results showed that the electric pulses of 1 kV/cm, l00 micros, 1 Hz for 8 s could not induce tumor cells apoptosis.

Effect of actin cytoskeleton disruption on electric pulse-induced apoptosis and electroporation in tumour cells.

Electric pulses are known to affect the outer membrane and intracellular structures of tumour cells. By applying electrical pulses of 450 ns duration with electric field intensity of 8 kV/cm to HepG2 cells for 30 s, electric pulse-induced changes in the integrity of the plasma membrane, apoptosis, viability and mitochondrial transmembrane potential were investigated. Results demonstrated that electric pulses induced cell apoptosis and necrosis accompanied with the decrease of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and the formation of pores in the membrane.