Cell electroporation .1. Theoretical simulation of the process of pore formation in a cell

A kinetic model of cell electroporation is presented. The creation and resealing of metastable pores are described as random one-step processes. Two cases are analysed: A, the transmembrane potential DELTAPHI(m) is the same at all points on the cell surface; B, DELTAPHI(m) produced by an external electric field depends on the membrane site. On the basis of the presented model, the following characteristics of cell electroporation for these two cases are obtained: (i) the dependences of the probability that a cell is porated, F(p), and the average number of pores per cell, nBAR, on the pulse duration tau(i) at a fixed electric field strength E0, i.e. F(p)(tau(i)) and nBAR(tau(i)); (ii) the dependences of F(p) and nBAR on the field strength E0 at a fixed pulse length tau(i), i.e. F(p)(E0) and nBAR(E0). General equations describing the dependences of F(p) and nBAR on both parameters, i.e. F(p)(E0, tau(i)) and nBAR(E0, tau(i)), are also derivedGamtos mokslų fakultetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta