Improvement of cell membrane permeability using a cell-solution electrode for generating atmospheric-pressure plasma

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Plasma Science
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Cell membrane permeability is crucial for processes like gene transfection.
• Conventional atmospheric-pressure plasma (APP) methods have limitations in delivering plasma effectively to cell solutions.
• Optimizing plasma delivery is key to improving cell membrane permeability.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of a novel cell-solution electrode for generating atmospheric-pressure plasma (APP).
• To evaluate the improvement in cell membrane permeability using this new APP method compared to conventional techniques.
• To understand the role of plasma-generated reactive oxygen species in enhancing cell membrane permeability.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a cell-solution electrode to generate atmospheric-pressure plasma (APP) directly above a cell solution.
• Compared the effectiveness of the cell-solution electrode APP with a conventional diffusion-type APP.
• Assessed cell membrane permeability in both floating and adherent cell cultures.
• Investigated the contribution of short-lived reactive oxygen species.

Main Results:

• The cell-solution electrode APP significantly improved cell membrane permeability for floating cells compared to diffusion-type APP.
• Reduced radial diffusion loss of plasma was observed due to the shorter distance between plasma generation and the cell solution.
• Enhanced cell membrane permeability was also noted for adherent cells, attributed to the proximity to the plasma-generated solution surface.
• Short-lived reactive oxygen species were identified as essential for permeability enhancement.

Conclusions:

• The cell-solution electrode APP is a highly effective method for improving cell membrane permeability.
• This technique offers advantages over conventional APP by minimizing plasma loss and optimizing delivery.
• The findings highlight the importance of proximity and reactive oxygen species in plasma-mediated cell membrane modification for applications like gene transfection.