A Nitric Oxide Producing Pin-to-Hole Spark Discharge Plasma Enhances Endothelial Cell Proliferation and Migration

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a key role in vascular functions and wound healing. A pin-to-hole spark discharge (PHD), which primarily produces NO, recently emerged as an effective tool for medical applications. We therefore investigated whether PHD plasma-produced NO could promote angiogenesis. PHD plasma equipped with a curved tube extension was used to treat a saline solution and porcine aortic endothelial cells in vitro. Both NO and nitrite increased linearly in plasma-treated phosphate buffered saline, and NO also increased in a dose-dependent manner in endothelial cells. PHD plasma treatment induced endothelial cell proliferation and migration. Cells treated for 60 seconds had 8% more cells than untreated samples 5 days after plasma treatment. A 60-second PHD plasma treatment also increased 2D migration distance by 32% compared to an untreated control, whereas the number of cells that migrated through a 3D collagen gel increased by 16%. However, no tube formation was induced by PHD plasma. These data show that PHD plasma could apply NO to accelerate wound healing through enhanced angiogenesis.