title: Optimization of Non-Thermal Plasma Treatment in an In Vivo Model Organism.
abstract: Non-thermal plasma is increasingly being recognized for a wide range of medical and biological applications. However, the effect of non-thermal plasma on physiological functions is not well characterized in in vivo model systems. Here we use a genetically amenable, widely used model system, Drosophila melanogaster, to develop an in vivo system, and investigate the role of non-thermal plasma in blood cell differentiation. Although the blood system in Drosophila is primitive, it is an efficient system with three types of hemocytes, functioning during different developmental stages and environmental stimuli. Blood cell differentiation in Drosophila plays an essential role in tissue modeling during embryogenesis, morphogenesis and also in innate immunity. In this study, we optimized distance and frequency for a direct non-thermal plasma application, and standardized doses to treat larvae and adult flies so that there is no effect on the viability, fertility or locomotion of the organism. We discovered that at optimal distance, time and frequency, application of plasma induced blood cell differentiation in the Drosophila larval lymph gland. We articulate that the augmented differentiation could be due to an increase in the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) upon non-thermal plasma application. Our studies open avenues to use Drosophila as a model system in plasma medicine to study various genetic disorders and biological processes where non-thermal plasma has a possible therapeutic application.
authors: A.J. Drexel Plasma Institute, Drexel University College of Engineering, Camden, NJ, 08103, United States of America.
authors: Amanda
authors: A
authors: Lee
authors: A.J. Drexel Plasma Institute, Drexel University College of Engineering, Camden, NJ, 08103, United States of America.
authors: Abraham
authors: A
authors: Lin
authors: Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, United States of America.
authors: Kajol
authors: K
authors: Shah
authors: Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, United States of America.
authors: Harpreet
authors: H
authors: Singh
authors: A.J. Drexel Plasma Institute, Drexel University College of Engineering, Camden, NJ, 08103, United States of America.
authors: Vandana
authors: V
authors: Miller
authors: Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19102, United States of America.
authors: Shubha
authors: S
authors: Gururaja Rao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects; D007814:Larva / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D008124:Locomotion / Q000187:drug effects; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D058626:Plasma Gases / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D058626:Plasma Gases; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species