Effects of argon and nitrogen plasma pulses on the skin and skin appendages in an in vivo animal model

Cold Atmospheric Plasma Inhibits Lipogenesis and Proliferation of Human Sebocytes and Decreases Sebum Production in Human Facial Skin

Background. Although several energy devices targeting sebaceous glands have been developed, an effective and safe therapeutic tool for hyperseborrhea is still needed. Nonthermal atmospheric-pressure plasma (NTAPP) induces microscopic tissue reactions in sebaceous glands of rat skin. Objective. The aim of the study is to investigate the effects of NTAPP on sebum production in human skin in vivo followed by an experimental study of human sebocytes. Methods. Fourteen healthy volunteers with oily facial skin underwent three sessions of argon- and nitrogen-NTAPP treatment at a 1-week interval and were followed up for 8 weeks. The casual sebum level, sebum excretion rate, and porphyrin index were evaluated. Histological analysis was performed using skin biopsy specimens taken from two subjects at the baseline and week 2. SZ95 sebocytes were stimulated with testosterone and linoleic acid (T/LA) with or without treatment with NTAPP. BODIPY and Nile red staining were used for qualitative lipids analysis. Proliferation and differentiation markers were also assessed. Results. Casual sebum levels and sebum excretion rates in facial skin decreased by 26 and 24%, respectively, at week 4 compared to those of the baseline. Porphyrin index also decreased by 38% at week 2. Histologically, NTAPP-treated human skin showed no obvious thermal injury, but the number of Ki67+ cells in the sebaceous glands decreased at week 2. Argon- and nitrogen-NTAPP attenuated T/LA-induced increases in neutral lipid accumulation, Ki67+ cells, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-ɣ transcription in human sebocytes at energy settings that did not induce apoptosis. Conclusion. Argon- and nitrogen-NTAPP can be a safe and effective therapeutic tool for hyperseborrhea-associated diseases such as acne. This trial is registered with NCT04917835.

Effects of Human Fibroblast-Derived Multi-Peptide Factors on the Proliferation and Migration of Nitrogen Plasma-Treated Human Dermal Fibroblasts

Background

Human fibroblast-derived multi-peptide factors (MPFs) promote wound repair by playing crucial roles in cell recruitment, adhesion, attachment, migration, and proliferation.

Methods

Cultured human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) were directly treated with non-contact low- and high-energy nitrogen plasma and further cultured in various conditioned media. Cell proliferation and wound-healing properties were evaluated.

Results

In Opti-modified Eagle’s medium + GlutaMAX culture, reduced HDF viability was observed 24 h after 2-J/pulse plasma treatment and 12 and 24 h after 3-J/pulse treatment. Meanwhile, in dermal fibroblast-conditioned medium (DFCM) containing MPF culture, reduced HDF viability was observed only 24 h after 3-J/pulse treatment. Under DFCM-MPF culture, the wound area percentage was significantly decreased after 12 and 24 h in untreated HDFs; at 9, 12, and 24 h after 1-J/pulse plasma treatment; at 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 h after 2-J/pulse plasma treatment; and at 9, 12, and 24 h after 3-J/pulse plasma treatment. Greater migration of HDFs with or without plasma treatment was found in DFCM-MPFs than in other conditioned media.

Conclusion

Low-energy nitrogen plasma treatment promotes HDF proliferation and wound repair. DFCM-MPFs enhanced cell proliferation and improved the wound healing properties of HDFs treated with low- and high-energy plasma.

Cold Argon Athmospheric Plasma for Biomedicine: Biological Effects, Applications and Possibilities

Currently, plasma medicine is a synthetic direction that unites the efforts of specialists of various profiles. For the successful formation of plasma medicine, it is necessary to solve a large complex of problems, including creating equipment for generating cold plasma, revealing the biological effects of this effect, as well as identifying and justifying the most promising areas of its application. It is known that these biological effects include antibacterial and antiviral activity, the ability to stimulate hemocoagulation, pro-regenerative properties, etc. The possibility of using the factor in tissue engineering and implantology is also shown. Based on this, the purpose of this review was to form a unified understanding of the biological effects and biomedical applications of argon cold plasma. The review shows that cold plasma, like any other physical and chemical factors, has dose dependence, and the variable parameter in this case is the exposure of its application. One of the significant characteristics determining the specificity of the cold plasma effect is the carrier gas selection. This gas carrier is not just an ionized medium but modulates the response of biosystems to it. Finally, the perception of cold plasma by cellular structures can be carried out by activating a special molecular biosensor, the functioning of which significantly depends on the parameters of the medium (in the field of plasma generation and the cell itself). Further research in this area can open up new prospects for the effective use of cold plasma.

Non-Invasive Physical Plasma Generated by a Medical Argon Plasma Device Induces the Expression of Regenerative Factors in Human Gingival Keratinocytes, Fibroblasts, and Tissue Biopsies

After oral surgery, intraoral wound healing and tissue regeneration is an important factor for the success of the entire therapy. In recent years, non-invasive medical plasma (NIPP) has been shown to accelerate wound healing, which would be particularly beneficial for patients with wound healing disorders. Since the application of NIPP in dentistry has not been sufficiently understood, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of a medical argon plasma device on gingival cells. Human gingival fibroblasts, keratinocytes, and tissue biopsies were treated with NIPP for different durations. Crucial markers associated with wound healing were examined at the mRNA and protein levels by real-time PCR, ELISA and immunohistochemistry. NIPP treatment led to an increase in Ki67 and MMP1 at mRNA and protein levels. NIPP application lasting longer than 60 s resulted in an increase in apoptotic genes at mRNA level and superficial damage to the epithelium in the tissue biopsies. Overall, our experimental setup demonstrated that NIPP application times of 30 s were most suitable for the treatment of gingival cells and tissue biopsies. Our study provides evidence for potential use of NIPP in dentistry, which would be a promising treatment option for oral surgery.

Antibacterial and anticandidal effects of atmospheric-pressure, non-thermal, nitrogen- and argon-plasma pulses

Atmospheric-pressure, non-thermal plasma destroys microorganisms by directly reacting with hydrocarbon molecules in the cell wall and/or by damaging the cytoplasmic membrane, proteins, and DNA with charged particles and reactive species. The aim of our study was to evaluate the antibacterial and anticandidal effects of atmospheric-pressure, non-thermal, nitrogen- and argon-plasma pulses on various pathogen preparations. The resultant antibacterial and anticandidal effects were assessed by evaluating percent and log reduction values for pathogen colonies. Nitrogen-plasma pulses emitted at an energy of 1.5 J and argon-plasma pulses generated at 0.5 J elicited remarkable antibacterial effects on Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and anticandidal effects on Candida albicans. Nitrogen-plasma pulses at a pulse count of five elicited remarkable antibacterial effects on Cutibacterium acnes at the energy settings of 1.75, 2.5, and 3 J, but not at 1 J. Meanwhile, argon-plasma pulses showed antibacterial effects on C. acnes at an energy of 0.5 and 0.65 J. Nitrogen- or argon-plasma pulses exert antibacterial and anticandidal effects on bacterial and fungal pathogens.