Membrane Potential Dynamics in Response to Pulsed Electric Fields: A Nanoscale Electrophysiological Study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biophysics
• Cellular Electrophysiology

Background:

• Electrical signals are crucial for neuronal function and physiological processes.
• Accurate characterization of cellular membrane potential changes is challenging.
• Understanding cellular responses to electrical fields is vital for neuroscience research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the membrane voltage responses of undifferentiated SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells to pulsed electric fields (PEFs).
• To assess the capability of conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) in detecting nanoscale membrane potential alterations.
• To establish a foundation for future studies on neuronal excitability and disease models.

Main Methods:

• Utilized conductive atomic force microscopy (CAFM) for high-resolution membrane voltage measurements.
• Exposed undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells to pulsed electric fields (PEFs) at varying amplitudes (5, 10, 20 V m^-1) and a frequency of 100 Hz.
• Analyzed peak-to-peak membrane voltage changes (ΔV) in response to electrical stimuli.

Main Results:

• CAFM successfully detected nanoscale membrane voltage alterations in response to PEFs.
• Observed amplitude-dependent changes in peak-to-peak membrane voltage (ΔV).
• The largest membrane voltage response was recorded at the highest applied field strength of 20 V m^-1.

Conclusions:

• Undifferentiated SH-SY5Y cells exhibit measurable membrane voltage responses to PEFs, dependent on field amplitude.
• CAFM is a viable tool for precise detection of cellular electrical activity at the nanoscale.
• These findings provide insights into fundamental biophysical responses and inform future research on neuronal excitability and therapeutic electrical stimulation.