Hydrogen Peroxide and Beyond-the Potential of High-voltage Plasma-activated Liquids Against Cancerous Cells

Title:Hydrogen Peroxide and Beyond-the Potential of High-voltage Plasma-activated Liquids Against Cancerous Cells

Volume: 18 Issue: 6

Author(s): Daniela Boehm, James Curtin, P.J. Cullen and Paula Bourke*

Affiliation:

• Plasma Research Group, School of Food Science and Environmental Health, Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin 1,Ireland

Keywords: Plasma activated water, ROS, RNS, cytotoxicity, hydrogen peroxide, peroxynitrite, peroxynitrate.

Abstract: Background: The use of plasma-activated liquids such as PBS, medium or simply plasma-activated water (PAW) has been receiving increasing attention for applications in cancer treatments. Amongst the reactive species contained in these solutions, hydrogen peroxide appears to play a pivotal role in causing cytotoxic effects. H2O2 concentrations can be correlated with reduced cell viability and growth and used as an indicator of the potential efficacy of a plasma-activated liquid.

Objective: To investigate the cytotoxic mediators generated in water specific to high-voltage DBD-ACP.

Method: Using a high-voltage dielectric barrier atmospheric cold plasma (DBD-ACP) system, we examined PAW-mediated cytotoxic effects on different mammalian cell lines employing a set-up where short-lived reactive species can be discounted and activated liquids with long-term stability are generated.

Results: The PAW potency could be modulated using voltage level, treatment time and post-treatment storage time and target-related characteristics such as surface to volume ratio. All of these parameters effected cell viability in a hydrogen peroxide concentration correlated manner. The susceptibility of two cancer cell lines to PAW was similar to that observed for two non-cancer cell lines and the toxicity of plasma-activated water exceeded that of the corresponding hydrogen peroxide concentrations.

Conclusion: In cytotoxic plasma activated water an essential role for H2O2 has been demonstrated multi-fold, yet further contributing factors are apparent and remain to be identified.

Cite this article as:

Boehm Daniela, Curtin James, Cullen P.J. and Bourke Paula *, Hydrogen Peroxide and Beyond-the Potential of High-voltage Plasma-activated Liquids Against Cancerous Cells, Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry 2018; 18 (6) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1871520617666170801110517