1: Biophys J  1988 Jun;53(6):1015-9 

Electroporation of cell membrane visualized under a pulsed-laser fluorescence
microscope.

Kinosita K Jr, Ashikawa I, Saita N, Yoshimura H, Itoh H, Nagayama K, Ikegami A.

Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Saitama, Japan.

Controlled permeability can be conferred to cell membranes by exposing cells to
a microsecond electric pulse of sufficient intensity (electroporation). By
constructing a fluorescence microimaging system with a submicrosecond time
resolution we have been able to resolve temporally and spatially the events in a
single cell under a microsecond electric pulse. An enormous membrane
conductance, corresponding to a loss of 0.01-0.1% of the membrane area, was
observed in those membrane regions where the transmembrane potential induced by
the electric pulse exceeded a critical value. The conductance decreased to a low
level in a submillisecond after the pulse, leaving a moderately electroporated
cell.

PMID: 3395657 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]