Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is primarily a nonthermal ablative technology that uses a series of high-voltage and ultra-short pulses with high-frequency electrical energy to induce cell death. This paper presents the influence of cholesterol on the IRE-induced probability of pore formation and the rate constant of pore formation in giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs). The GUVs are prepared by a mixture of dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG), dioleoylphosphatidylcholine (DOPC) and cholesterol using the natural swelling method. An IRE signal of frequency 1.1 kHz is applied to the membranes of GUVs. The probability of pore formation and the rate constant of pore formation events are obtained using statistical analysis from several single GUVs. The time-dependent fraction of intact GUVs among all those examined is fitted to a single exponential decay function from where the rate constant of pore formation is calculated. The probability of pore formation and the rate constant of pore formation decreases with an increase in cholesterol content in the membranes of GUVs. Theoretical equations are fitted to the tension-dependent rate constant of pore formation and to the probability of pore formation, which allows us to obtain the line tension of membranes. The obtained line tension increases with an increase in cholesterol in the membranes. The increase in the energy barrier of the prepore state, due to the increase of cholesterol in membranes, is the main factor explaining the decrease in the rate constant of pore formation.

不可逆电穿孔（IRE）主要是一种非热消融技术，该技术使用一系列带有高频电能的高压和超短脉冲来诱导细胞死亡。本文介绍了胆固醇对IRE诱导的单层巨大囊泡（GUVs）中的孔形成概率和孔形成速率常数的影响。通过使用自然溶胀法，由油酰磷脂酰甘油（DOPG），油酰磷脂酰胆碱（DOPC）和胆固醇的混合物制备GUV。将频率为1.1 kHz的IRE信号施加到GUV的膜上。孔隙形成的概率和孔隙形成事件的速率常数是使用统计分析从几个单一的GUV中获得的。所有被检查的GUV中随时间变化的完整GUV都拟合到一个指数衰减函数，从中可以计算孔形成的速率常数。孔形成的可能性和孔形成的速率常数随着GUV膜中胆固醇含量的增加而降低。理论方程式适合于孔形成的张力相关速率常数和孔形成的可能性，这使我们能够获得膜的线张力。所获得的线张力随着膜中胆固醇的增加而增加。由于膜中胆固醇的增加，前孔态的能垒增加是解释孔形成速率常数降低的主要因素。