Effects of nanosecond pulse electric fields on cellular elasticity

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cell Biology
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Pulsed electric fields are used in various biomedical applications.
• Understanding their effects on cell mechanics is crucial for optimizing these applications.
• Jurkat cells are a common model for studying cellular responses to external stimuli.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of single nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) on Jurkat cell morphology and membrane elasticity.
• To differentiate the effects of low (15 kV/cm) and high (60 kV/cm) nsPEF strengths.
• To elucidate the relationship between cytoskeletal integrity and membrane elasticity changes post-nsPEF exposure.

Main Methods:

• Utilized fluorescent microscopy to observe cellular morphology and cytoskeletal changes.
• Employed atomic force microscopy (AFM) for force displacement measurements.
• Calculated Young's modulus from AFM data to quantify membrane elasticity.

Main Results:

• Low-strength nsPEF (15 kV/cm) caused minor morphological changes and a significant decrease in membrane elasticity without apparent cytoskeletal breakdown.
• High-strength nsPEF (60 kV/cm) induced substantial morphological alterations due to actin cytoskeleton disruption and a marked decrease in elasticity, suggesting irreversible membrane damage.
• Cellular morphology changes were primarily linked to actin cytoskeleton stabilization, whereas elasticity variations were partly dependent on cytoskeletal integrity.

Conclusions:

• Nanosecond pulsed electric fields differentially affect cell morphology and membrane elasticity based on field strength.
• Low-strength nsPEF primarily impacts membrane elasticity, while high-strength nsPEF causes both morphological and elasticity changes.
• The actin cytoskeleton plays a key role in maintaining cell morphology, and its integrity influences nsPEF-induced changes in membrane elasticity.