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Delivery devices for exposure of biological cells to nanosecond pulsed electric fields

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Abstract

In this paper, delivery devices for nanosecond pulsed electric field exposure of biological samples in direct contact with electrodes or isolated are presented and characterized. They are based on a modified electroporation cuvette and two transverse electromagnetic cells (TEM cells). The devices were used to apply pulses with high intensity (4.5 kV) and short durations (3 and 13 ns). The delivery devices were electromagnetically characterized in the frequency and time domains. Field intensities of around 5, 0.5, and 12 MV m−1 were obtained by numerical simulations of the biological sample positioned in the three delivery devices. Two delivery systems had a homogenous electric field spatial distribution, and one was adapted to permit a highly localized exposure in the vicinity of a needle. Experimental biological investigations were carried out at different field intensities for five cancer cell lines. The results using flow cytometry showed that cells kept polarized mitochondrial membrane but lost plasma membrane integrity following a dose–response trend after exposure to different electric field intensities. Certain cell types (U87, MCF7) showed higher sensitivities to nsPEFs than other lines tested.

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Acknowledgements

This research was conducted in the scope of LEA-EBAM, a European Associated Laboratory titled “Pulsed Electric Fields Applications in Biology and Medicine.”

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Univ. Limoges, CNRS, XLIM, UMR 7252, 87000, Limoges, France

    Malak Soueid, Martinus C. F. Dobbelaar, Sabrina Bentouati, Sylvia M. Bardet, Rodney P. O’Connor, Philippe Leveque & Delia Arnaud-Cormos

  2. SIAME Laboratory, University of Pau, 64013, Pau, France

    Martinus C. F. Dobbelaar, Delphine Bessières & Jean Paillol

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  1. Malak Soueid
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  2. Martinus C. F. Dobbelaar
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  3. Sabrina Bentouati
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  4. Sylvia M. Bardet
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  5. Rodney P. O’Connor
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  6. Delphine Bessières
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Correspondence to Delia Arnaud-Cormos.

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Soueid, M., Dobbelaar, M.C.F., Bentouati, S. et al. Delivery devices for exposure of biological cells to nanosecond pulsed electric fields. Med Biol Eng Comput 56, 85–97 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-017-1676-0

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