The influence of skeletal muscle anisotropy on electroporation: in vivo study and numerical modeling

The aim of this study was to theoretically and experimentally investigate electroporation of mouse tibialis cranialis and to determine the reversible electroporation threshold values needed for parallel and perpendicular orientation of the applied electric field with respect to the muscle fibers. Our study was based on local electric field calculated with three-dimensional realistic numerical models, that we built, and in vivo visualization of electroporated muscle tissue. We established that electroporation of muscle cells in tissue depends on the orientation of the applied electric field; the local electric field threshold values were determined (pulse parameters: 8 x 100 micros, 1 Hz) to be 80 V/cm and 200 V/cm for parallel and perpendicular orientation, respectively. Our results could be useful electric field parameters in the control of skeletal muscle electroporation, which can be used in treatment planning of electroporation based therapies such as gene therapy, genetic vaccination, and electrochemotherapy.