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Updated: Jan 25, 2026
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Treating Surfaces with a Cold Atmospheric Pressure Plasma using the COST-Jet
Published on: November 2, 2020
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Nitrosylation vs. oxidation - How to modulate cold physical plasmas for biological applications
Jan-Wilm Lackmann1, Giuliana Bruno1, Helena Jablonowski1
1ZIK plasmatis at Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology (INP Greifswald e.V.), Greifswald, Germany.
Plos One
|May 9, 2019
Summary
Cold atmospheric plasmas (CAPs) can modify thiols, crucial for cell signaling. This study shows specific plasma conditions can generate S-nitrosocysteine, beneficial for wound healing and inflammation.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry and Plasma Medicine
- Investigating the chemical effects of cold atmospheric plasmas (CAPs) on biological molecules.
Background:
- Thiol groups are key targets for reactive nitrogen and oxygen species from CAPs, influencing cellular redox signaling.
- The precise biochemical pathways, especially involving reactive nitrogen species (RNS), are not fully understood.
- Protein thiol nitrosylation by CAP-derived RNS may play a role in inflammation and wound healing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of a modified argon plasma jet (kINPen 09) with nitrogen shielding on cysteine.
- To compare the chemical properties of the kINPen 09 with a reference device (COST jet) for RNS production.
- To explore plasma tuning strategies involving gas composition and surrounding atmosphere.
Main Methods:
- Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry analyzed cysteine modifications.
- Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy measured short-lived radical species.
- Ion chromatography (NO2-, NO3-) and xylenol orange assay (H2O2) quantified long-lived species.
Main Results:
- Thiol oxidation was the dominant reaction under all tested conditions.
- Argon plasma with nitrogen shielding and oxygen/nitrogen gas mixtures promoted nitric oxide (NO) deposition and S-nitrosocysteine formation.
- The COST jet exhibited more stable RNS production than the kINPen, suggesting different NO generation pathways.
Conclusions:
- The kINPen 09 and COST jet display distinct chemical properties in their reactive species generation.
- Plasma tuning can be achieved not only through gas mixtures but also by adjusting the surrounding atmosphere.
- Optimized CAP conditions, particularly those favoring S-nitrosocysteine, hold potential for enhanced therapeutic applications.
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