Physiological and Histopathological Effects of Electroporation Pulse on Stomach of Rats

Abstract BackgroundElectroporation pulse (EP) is an emerging tissue ablation technique with widespread potential, including in the treatment of multiple cancer types. However, there is a lack of knowledge about its effect on the physiology and histopathology of stomachs. The aim of this study was to investigate biological effects of EP applied to stomachs of healthy rats on digestive function, serum marker levels, and gastric tissue structure.MethodsNinety male rats were divided into nine groups and examined up to 28 days post-treatment. A single burst of electroporation pulses (500 V, 99 pluses, 1 Hz, 100 μs) was delivered to the stomachs of the rats using a forceps electrode. Gastric emptying, small intestinal transit, and gastric secretion were measured to evaluate digestive function. Levels of serum markers were determined using ELISA. Haematoxylin–eosin, Masson trichrome, and immunofluorescence were performed for histopathological analysis.ResultsNo significant effect on gastric emptying or secretion were found post-EP, whereas the small intestinal transit decreased at 4 h and rapidly recovered to normal on 1-day post-EP. Further, levels of serum markers such as TNF-α and IL-1β changed temporarily in the acute term but soon returned to normal within 28 days. Moreover, histopathological analysis revealed that that the cell death in ablation area occurred immediately post-EP, and the gastric wall scaffold in the ablation region remained intact post-EP.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the safety and efficacy of EP on the physiology and histopathology of the stomach and lays a foundation for the wider use of this technique in future studies.