Original ArticleBiomedicalAccelerated Mice Skin Acute Wound Healing In Vivo by Combined Treatment of Argon and Helium Plasma Needle
Introduction
In biology and medicine, the term plasma refers to the liquid component of the blood cells, whereas this same word in physics refers to the fourth state of matter, a partially ionized gas with a neutral electrical behavior 1, 2, 3. Recently, the field of plasma physics has been significantly expanding with many applications, in particular, plasma in medicine and as an independent medical field. It is emerging worldwide in a manner comparable to the development several years ago of laser technology (4). Research areas such as plasma surface modification (5), plasma bio-decontamination, and therapeutic plasma are often collectively known as plasma medicine (6). The scientific basis of plasma medicine rests on a fundamental knowledge of the plasma interaction mechanisms with living cells and tissue (7).
Various biomedical applications of nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma sources have been explored recently. These have been focused on the treatment of medical equipment and even living tissue. A major goal of tissue treatment with plasmas is nondestructive surgery (8). Provided that plasmas allow fast and efficient bacterial inactivation, they seem suitable for the asepsis of surgical tools and local tissue disinfection. However, as it is expected that a novel approach to surgery will emerge from plasma science, a great research effort must be made before these techniques become common in medicine. Examples of plasma applications in medicine are bacterial decontamination of medical instruments (9), coating of implants with biocompatible layers (10), surface modification of substrates for cell culture (6), blood coagulation by argon plasma 6, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, and dermatology 7, 16, 17, 18, 19.
The most frequently used plasma devices in medical applications are the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) (8), the floating electrode dielectric barrier discharge (FE-DBD) 6, 12 and the plasma needle (16). The plasma needle device was originally designed for dental applications (20). It produces a small-diameter low-power nonthermal atmospheric pressure glow discharge. A radiofrequency (RF) high-voltage signal is applied to a needle-shaped electrode located inside a concentric gas flow nozzle with a diameter of a few millimeters.
The plasma needle generates a multitude of reactive oxygen species (ROS) together with reactive nitrogen species (RNS) as well as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, and these can reach the surface of the living tissue (6). These reactive species can play a key role in proliferation processes, for instance, involved in collagen production of fibroblasts and synthesis of growth factors 21, 22.
The small size of the plasma needle device allows focusing a specific treatment on spots with a few-millimeter diameter without applying excessive heat to the living tissue. The aim of the present paper is to report the effect of subsequent argon and helium plasma needle treatment at room temperature and atmospheric pressure in regard to the time required for skin wound healing in mice in vivo.
Section snippets
Plasma Source
A system capable of generating plasma at atmospheric pressure by means of a torch-like device known as a plasma needle (16) constituted by an assembly of elements in a coaxial configuration has been previously developed and reported (23). A copper filament fulfills the role of axial powered electrode; it is surrounded by a ceramic tube that provides both mechanical rigidity and electric insulation. The central electrode is visible only from the very tip of the device where the encasing tube
Spectral Analysis
Using the monochromator measurements within a 200–800 nm range, the single spectrum in Figure 2A, corresponding to argon flux of 0.5 SLPM, was taken. Likewise, Figure 2B shows a typical spectrum recorded from a 1.5 SLPM of He flux, both experiments being conducted at room temperature. The ROS and RNS are well recognized for playing a dual role with both deleterious and beneficial species. The respective spectra (Figure 2) shows the hydroxyl radical (OH) in both discharges, whereas nitric oxide
Acknowledgments
This study received financial support from CONACYT, Mexico. The authors are grateful to the technical collaboration of C. Alejandrí Cortés, A. Reyes Pozos, P. Aguilar Vargas, M.T. Torres Martínez, P. Angeles Espinoza and I. Contreras Villa.
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