Microplasma Induced Cell Morphological Changes and Apoptosis of Ex Vivo Cultured Human Anterior Lens Epithelial Cells - Relevance to Capsular Opacification

PLoS One. 2016 Nov 10;11(11):e0165883. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0165883. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

Inducing selective or targeted cell apoptosis without affecting large number of neighbouring cells remains a challenge. A plausible method for treatment of posterior capsular opacification (PCO) due to remaining lens epithelial cells (LECs) by reactive chemistry induced by localized single electrode microplasma discharge at top of a needle-like glass electrode with spot size ~3 μm is hereby presented. The focused and highly-localized atmospheric pressure microplasma jet with electrode discharge could induce a dose-dependent apoptosis in selected and targeted individual LECs, which could be confirmed by real-time monitoring of the morphological and structural changes at cellular level. Direct cell treatment with microplasma inside the medium appeared more effective in inducing apoptosis (caspase 8 positivity and DNA fragmentation) at a highly targeted cell level compared to treatment on top of the medium (indirect treatment). Our results show that single cell specific micropipette plasma can be used to selectively induce demise in LECs which remain in the capsular bag after cataract surgery and thus prevent their migration (CXCR4 positivity) to the posterior lens capsule and PCO formation.

MeSH terms

  • Apoptosis*
  • Capsule Opacification / therapy*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Electrodes
  • Epithelial Cells / cytology*
  • Equipment Design
  • Humans
  • Lens Capsule, Crystalline / cytology*
  • Micromanipulation / instrumentation
  • Plasma Gases / administration & dosage*
  • Plasma Gases / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Plasma Gases

Grants and funding

The work has been supported by the Slovenian Research Agency (ARRS) programs P3-0333 & P2-0082, EU COST programs MP1101 & TP1208, and NATO grant SPS 984555.