Electrical pulse generator for electroporation induction in myocytes: Compared effects on skeletal and cardiac cells

High-intensity, external electric fields (HIEF) have been used in research and therapy for abnormal generation/propagation of the cardiac electrical activity (e.g., defibrillation), and for promoting access of membrane-impermeant molecules into the cytosol through electropores. This report proposes the architecture of a pulse generator designed for both pacing and electroporation induction in isolated myocytes for the study of HIEF impact and membrane repair mechanisms. The instrument was used for quantitative characterization and comparison of the sensitivity of myocytes isolated from skeletal and cardiac muscle to HIEF-induced lethal damage, which requires severe electroporation. The pulse generator was able to produce lethal injury in both cell types, even though skeletal myocytes required fields ∼50 % greater than cardiomyocytes, thus underscoring the suitability of the proposed instrument for electroporation induction in muscle cells. It is thus likely that the reported greater myocardial vulnerability to severe electrical injury, compared to other tissues, is due to the greater cardiomyocyte sensitivity to HIEF.