Key result
Electroporation-triggered action potentials propagate via gap junctions with synchronized extracellular calcium influx.
Why the study?
The mechanisms of how electroporation affects the generation and propagation of action potentials in myocardium remain to be elucidated, including unexpected multiple action potentials and complex calcium dynamics.
In an in vitro model of excitable cells, multiple action potentials and complex calcium dynamics following electroporation are dependent on gap junction coupling and extracellular calcium influx, providing mechanistic insights relevant to pulsed field ablation.
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Electroporation effects via gap junctions in cell models warrant in vivo validation; leaves open translation to pulsed field ablation practice.
In recent years, irreversible electroporation has been increasingly used to treat cardiac arrhythmias, an approach termed pulsed field ablation. The mechanisms of how electroporation affects the generation and propagation of action potentials (AP) in the myocardium (and other excitable tissues) remain to be elucidated. In our previous in vitro studies using genetically engineered S-HEK cells as a simple model of excitable cells we identified two unexpected phenomena that remain unexplained: (1) multiple APs triggered by a single electric pulse, and (2) a pulse-induced complex (bi- or multiphasic) calcium response not observed in their non-excitable counterparts NS-HEK cells. In this study, we employed fluorescence microscopy for optical monitoring of APs and intracellular calcium, pharmacological interventions targeting specific ion channels, and molecular biology techniques to characterize the expression of selected ion channels in S-HEK and NS-HEK cells. Our findings show that (1) multiple APs result primarily from sustained AP propagation along the cell monolayer through gap junctions, and (2) the complex calcium response in S-HEK cells reflects synchronized calcium influx during these propagating APs, with extracellular calcium being primary source rather than internal store release.
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Napotnik et al. (2026) studied Cardiac arrhythmias (in vitro model for pulsed field ablation). Electroporation and gap junction inhibition (carbenoxolone) vs. Vehicle control / NS-HEK cells was evaluated on Action potential propagation and intracellular calcium response (p=<0.05). In S-HEK cells, multiple action potentials triggered by electroporation result primarily from sustained propagation through gap junctions, and the complex calcium response reflects synchronized extracellular calcium influx.
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