Induction of apoptosis in human myeloid leukemia cells by remote exposure of resistive barrier cold plasma

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP), an ambient temperature ionized gas, is gaining extensive interest as a promising addition to anti-tumor therapy primarily due to the ability to generate and control delivery of electrons, ions, excited molecules, UV photons, and reactive species such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) to a specific site. The heterogeneous composition of CAP offers the opportunity to mediate several signaling pathways that regulate tumor cells. Consequently, the array of CAP generated products has limited the identification of the mechanisms of action on tumor cells. The aim of this work is to assess the cell death response of human myeloid leukemia cells by remote exposure to CAP generated RNS by utilizing a novel resistive barrier discharge system that primarily produces RNS. The effect of variable treatments of CAP generated RNS was tested in THP-1 cell (human monocytic leukemia cell line), a model for hematological malignancy. The number of viable cells was evaluated with erythrosine-B staining, while apoptosis and necrosis was assessed by endonuclease cleavage observed by agarose gel electrophoresis and detection of cells with the exclusionary dye propidium iodide and fluorescently labeled annexin-V by flow cytometry and fluorescent microscopy. Our observations indicate that treatment dosage levels of 45□s of exposure to CAP emitted RNS-induced apoptotic cell death and for higher dosage conditions of ≥ 50□s of exposure to CAP induced necrosis. Overall the results suggest that CAP emitted RNS play a significant role in the anti-tumor potential of CAP.