Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2025
Precise Cellular Ablation Approach for Modeling Acute Kidney Injury in Developing Zebrafish
Published on: June 3, 2017
Evaluation of pulsed field ablation lesion characteristics using an in vitro vegetable model
Nathaniel A Steiger1, Logan McClennen1, Justin Bilenker1
1Cardiac Arrhythmia Service, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Background:
In vitro models to evaluate cardiac pulsed field ablation (PFA) have not been well established. We sought to create a standardized vegetable model and staining protocol for assessing unipolar PFA using a surface electrode.
Methods:
We exposed potato slabs to unipolar PFA in a saline bath using a 3.5 mm electrode catheter and grounding pad connected to a custom-built high-voltage generator. Lesions were clearly visualized after staining with 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) using a timed protocol to reveal a necrotic center and a periphery of electroporated cells with intact mitochondria.
Results:
Lesion volume increased linearly with increasing voltage and logarithmically with repetitive PFA applications.
Conclusion:
The findings observed in this vegetable model using a TTC staining protocol are consistent with findings observed with cardiomyocytes.
