ESTIMATION OF THE PHYSIOLOGICAL PARAMETERS OF A MEMBRANE CHANNEL EXPOSED TO ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS USING THE GPOF APPROACH

Abstract

A method is proposed for the estimation of kinetic parameters of ionic channels in the cell membrane. The method is based on the generalized pencil-of-function approach, which exploits transient current signals from single channels to derive the frequency of the system poles. The proposed approach is validated for the well-known potassium channel by comparing the estimated values with the theoretical values given by Hodgkin and Huxley. The approach is superior to previous spectral approaches, both for its accuracy and for its robustness. It is especially useful for parameter estimation when the channel is exposed to electromagnetic fields. Results are given for exposure to 200-Hz and 915-MHz signals, to demonstrate the effect of fields on the kinetic parameters of the channel.