title: Enhancement of Wound Healing by Non-Thermal N2/Ar Micro-Plasma Exposure in Mice with Fractional-CO2-Laser-Induced Wounds.
abstract: Micro-plasma is a possible alternative treatment for wound management. The effect of micro-plasma on wound healing depends on its composition and temperature. The authors previously developed a capillary-tube-based micro-plasma system that can generate micro-plasma with a high nitric oxide-containing species composition and mild working temperature. Here, the efficacy of micro-plasma treatment on wound healing in a laser-induced skin wound mouse model was investigated. A partial thickness wound was created in the back skin of each mouse and then treated with micro-plasma. Non-invasive methods, namely wound closure kinetics, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and laser Doppler scanning, were used to measure the healing efficiency in the wound area. Neo-tissue growth and the expressions of matrix metallopeptidase-3 (MMP-3) and laminin in the wound area were assessed using histological and immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis. The results show that micro-plasma treatment promoted wound healing. Micro-plasma treatment significantly reduced the wound bed region. The OCT images and histological analysis indicates more pronounced tissue regrowth in the wound bed region after micro-plasma treatment. The laser Doppler images shows that micro-plasma treatment promoted blood flow in the wound bed region. The IHC results show that the level of laminin increased in the wound bed region after micro-plasma treatment, whereas the level of MMP-3 decreased. Based on these results, micro-plasma has potential to be used to promote the healing of skin wounds clinically.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pei-Lin
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.|Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Jiunn-Der
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical College and Hospital, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tak-Wah
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yi-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Center for Translational Research in Biomedical Sciences, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leu
authors.affiliation: Center for Translational Research in Biomedical Sciences, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan.|Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Kaohsiung 83301, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hon-Kan
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Yip
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001128:Argon; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009584:Nitrogen; D014945:Wound Healing; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D001128:Argon; D009584:Nitrogen