Changes in transmembrane voltage regulation due to cell electroporationBlažič, Anja (Avtor) Rems, Lea (Mentor) electroporationtransmembrane voltage changescell membrane permeabilitycell survivalcell invasionion channelsElectroporation enables the increase in cell membrane permeability by exposing cells to high-voltage electric pulses and is widely used in medical procedures such as electrochemotherapy, non-thermal tumour ablation, and most recently for ablation of arrhythmogenic cardiac tissue. Despite its broad applications, the regulation of transmembrane voltage following electroporation remains incompletely understood. This dissertation aims to investigate how TMV is shaped and modulated after electroporation, and how these changes influence downstream cellular processes. It builds on three complementary studies. The first study examined alterations in TMV over 30 min after pulse exposure, demonstrating that post-pulse TMV dynamics are governed by an interplay between nonselective leak current due to membrane permeabilization and ion channel activation. The second study examined reversible electroporation in patient-derived glioblastoma cells, showing that electric field exposure can alter the invasive behaviour of surviving cells, with evidence implicating ion channels in this adaptive response. The third study explored pharmacological inhibition of voltage-gated sodium channels using lidocaine during electroporation, revealing that lidocaine can affect cell survival outcome through mechanisms that extend beyond simple ion channel modulation. Taken together, these studies provide an integrated view of how electrical stress translates into functional and phenotypic cellular changes. By linking TMV regulation to ion channel activity, invasive behaviour, and pharmacological modulations, the findings extend the mechanistic understanding of electroporation and suggest novel opportunities for therapeutic modulation, particularly in the context of glioblastoma.[A. Blažič]20252025-12-24 07:16:40Doktorsko delo/naloga177550sl