Cell death induced in glioblastoma cells by Plasma-Activated-Liquids (PAL) is primarily mediated by membrane lipid peroxidation and not ROS influx

PLoS One. 2022 Sep 22;17(9):e0274524. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274524. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Since first identified in 1879, plasma, the fourth state of matter, has been developed and utilised in many fields. Nonthermal atmospheric plasma, also known as cold plasma, can be applied to liquids, where plasma reactive species such as reactive Oxygen and Nitrogen species and their effects can be retained and mediated through plasma-activated liquids (PAL). In the medical field, PAL is considered promising for wound treatment, sterilisation and cancer therapy due to its rich and relatively long-lived reactive species components. This study sought to identify any potential antagonistic effect between antioxidative intracellularly accumulated platinum nanoparticles (PtNPs) and PAL. We found that PAL can significantly reduce the viability of glioblastoma U-251MG cells. This did not involve measurable ROS influx but instead lead to lipid damage on the plasma membrane of cells exposed to PAL. Although the intracellular antioxidative PtNPs showed no protective effect against PAL, this study contributes to further understanding of principle cell killing routes of PAL and discovery of potential PAL-related therapy and methods to inhibit side effects.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antioxidants / metabolism
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology
  • Cell Death
  • Glioblastoma*
  • Humans
  • Lipid Peroxidation
  • Lipids
  • Metal Nanoparticles*
  • Nitrogen
  • Oxygen
  • Plasma Gases* / pharmacology
  • Platinum
  • Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Lipids
  • Plasma Gases
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Platinum
  • Nitrogen
  • Oxygen

Grants and funding

This work is supported by TU DUBLIN Fiosraigh Research Scholarship programme (S.G.), Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Award GOIPD/2020/788 (Z.H.), and EOSPG/2020/277 (B.L.), Science Foundation Ireland Grant Numbers 14/IA/2626 (P.B, P.C., J.C.), 15/SIRG/3466 (D.B.), 16/BBSRC/3391 (P.B.) and 20/US/3678 (P.B.) and 21/FFP-A/9189 (J.C.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.