1: Biochim Biophys Acta  1977 Dec 1;471(2):227-42 

Voltage-induced pore formation and hemolysis of human erythrocytes.

Kinosita K Jr, Tsong TY.

Isotonic suspensions of human erythrocytes were exposed to single electric
pulses of intensity at a few kV/cm and duration in microseconds. Upon pulsation,
the cell membranes became permeable to Na+ and K+, and the erythrocytes
eventually hemolysed through the colloid osmotic effect of hemoglobin. The
enhanced permeability is attributed to the formation of pores in the cell
membranes. These pores are formed within a fraction of a microsecond, once the
transmembrane potential induced by the applied electric field reaches a critical
value of 1.0 V. Increased field intensity and pulse duration, or pulsation at
low ionic strengths all expand the pore size, leading to an accelerated
hemolysis reaction. In contrast to this expansion process, the initial step of
pore formatin is governed solely by the magnitude of the transmembrane
potential: the critical value of the potential stays essentially constant in
media of different ionic strengths, nor does it change appreciably with varying
pulse duration. An abrupt increase in membrane permeability at a transmembrane
potential adround 1 V has been observed in many cellular systems. It is
suggested that a similar mechanism of pore formation may apply to these systems
as well.

PMID: 921980 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]