Numerical simulation on voltage-activated calcium flux of neuroblastoma cells in response to 2.5THz electric pulses

It has been observed through animal and cell experiments that terahertz electric pulse irradiation can modulate physiological processes of nerve system. However, the regulation mechanism is unclear and the corresponding research is rarely reported in the literatures. This paper simulates the voltage-activated calcium flux of rodent neuroblastoma cells under the irradiation of 50ps, 2.5THz electric pulses. The active transport of calcium ions on the plasma membrane is considered in the simulation. The numerical results indicate that terahertz irradiation can lead to the alternate activation of voltage-activated calcium channels on both sides of the cell, which facilitates calcium influx. In addition, the results reveal that the voltage-activated calcium channels stay closed if the amplitude of the radiated terahertz pulse is less than or equal to 6kV/cm.