INFLUENCE OF COLD ARGON PLASMA ON DIELECTRIC PARAMETERS OF RAT SKIN

Abstract

The purpose of this study was a comparative study of dielectric parameters of rat skin treated with argon and cold argon plasma. The experiment was carried out on 40 male Wistar rats divided into 4 equal groups. The first group of animals (n=10) was the control (intact). A pre-epilated area of the back skin (area = 1*1 cm) of the rats of the remaining groups (n=10 in each) was treated daily. The course duration for all experimental groups was 10 procedures. Animals of the second group received treatment with non-ionized argon flow (the duration of one procedure is 1 minute), rats of the third and fourth groups received cold argon plasma (1 and 2 minutes, respectively). Cold plasma was generated using a device that uses the principle of microwave ionization of a gas stream. As the latter, high purity argon (99.99%) was used. The assessment of the dielectric parameters of the skin in the treated area (for rats of the control group - in a similar part of the back) was carried out after the completion of the full course of the exposure. A specialized software and hardware complex was used for this, which provides near-field resonant microwave sounding of biological tissues. It was established that the course treatment of the skin area of the rats’ back with gas flows with different ionization causes formation of a specific functional-metabolic and morphostructural response. Its character is determined by the parameters of the gas flow used: non-ionized argon significantly reduces the dielectric parameters (permeability and conductivity), and the result of the action of cold argon plasma depends on the exposure. In case of one-minute treatment, the preservation of tissue permeability at an intact level was observed with a moderate decrease of conductivity. In the case of 2 minute exposure, the dielectric capacitivity increased, while the conductivity remained unchanged.