title: Effects of air transient spark discharge and helium plasma jet on water, bacteria, cells, and biomolecules.
abstract: Atmospheric pressure DC-driven self-pulsing transient spark (TS) discharge operated in air and pulse-driven dielectric barrier discharge plasma jet (PJ) operated in helium in contact with water solutions were used for inducing chemical effects in water solutions, and the treatment of bacteria (Escherichia coli), mammalian cells (Vero line normal cells, HeLa line cancerous cells), deoxyribonucleic acid (dsDNA), and protein (bovine serum albumin). Two different methods of water solution supply were used in the TS: water electrode system and water spray system. The effects of both TS systems and the PJ were compared, as well as a direct exposure of the solution to the discharge with an indirect exposure to the discharge activated gas flow. The chemical analysis of water solutions was performed by using colorimetric methods of UV-VIS absorption spectrophotometry. The bactericidal effects of the discharges on bacteria were evaluated by standard microbiological plate count method. Viability, apoptosis and cell cycle were assessed in normal and cancerous cells. Viability of cells was evaluated by trypan blue exclusion test, apoptosis by Annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide assay, and cell cycle progression by propidium iodide/RNase test. The effect of the discharges on deoxyribonucleic acid and protein were evaluated by fluorescence and UV absorption spectroscopy. The results of bacterial and mammalian cell viability, apoptosis, and cell cycle clearly show that cold plasma can inactivate bacteria and selectively target cancerous cells, which is very important for possible future development of new plasma therapeutic strategies in biomedicine. The authors found that all investigated bio-effects were stronger with the air TS discharge than with the He PJ, even in indirect exposure.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248 Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Karol
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hensel
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248 Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Katarína
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kučerová
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248 Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Barbora
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tarabová
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248 Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Mário
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janda
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Mathematics, Physics and Informatics, Comenius University, 84248 Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Zdenko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Machala
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental and Life Sciences, Toyohashi University of Technology, 4418580 Toyohashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, 700506 Iaşi, Romania.
authors.forename: Cosmin Teodor
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Mihai
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, 700506 Iaşi, Romania.
authors.forename: Mitică
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciorpac
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Biology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, 700506 Iaşi, Romania.
authors.forename: Lucian Dragos
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Gorgan
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, 700506 Iaşi, Romania.
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jijie
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, 700506 Iaşi, Romania.
authors.forename: Valentin
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pohoata
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physics, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, 700506 Iaşi, Romania.
authors.forename: Ionut
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Topala
mesh_terms: D000388:Air; D000818:Animals; D001704:Biopolymers / Q000378:metabolism*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004560:Electricity; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006371:Helium / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D050296:Microbial Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D058626:Plasma Gases; D014709:Vero Cells; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D001704:Biopolymers; D058626:Plasma Gases; D014867:Water; D006371:Helium