Numerical Study on Calcium Transport Through Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels in Response to Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field

It is observed that nanosecond pulsed electric field induces extracellular calcium inflow, which suggests great potential in manipulating cell functions. In this paper, a mathematical model of calcium transmembrane transport is set up to make a systematic research of calcium transport through voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) in response to electrical pulses. The particle-in-cell simulation method is employed to simulate the transport process and obtain calcium concentration at any time. The simulation results show that nanosecond electric pulse can activate low VGCCs during the radiation period. Besides, the results reveal the nonlinear relation of the increment in intracellular calcium concentration caused by activation of VGCCs to pulse widths and field intensities. The numerical simulations lay the foundation for quantitative manipulation of intracellular calcium concentration via nanosecond electric pulses.