Non-thermal argon plasma is bactericidal for the intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia trachomatis

Abstract

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) is a flow of partially ionized argon gas at an ambient macroscopic temperature and is microbicidal for bacteria, viruses and fungi. Viability of the Gram-negative obligate intracellular bacterial parasite Chlamydia trachomatis and its host cells was investigated after NTP treatment. NTP treatment of C. trachomatis extracellular elementary bodies (EBs) diminished the concentration of infectious bacteria by a factor of 9×10(4), as established by the parallel infection of murine fibroblast McCoy cells with treated and control EBs. NTP treatment of infected McCoy cells caused disruption of membrane-restricted vacuoles (inclusions), where C. trachomatis intracellular reticulate bodies (RBs) multiply, and a 2×10(6)-fold reduction in the concentration of infectious bacteria. When the samples were covered with magnesium fluoride glass to obstruct plasma particles and UV rays alone were applied, the bactericidal effect was reduced 1.4×10(1)-fold and 5×10(4)-fold for EBs and RBs, respectively. NTP treatment caused the viability of host McCoy cells to diminish by 19%. Therefore, the results obtained demonstrated that (i) both extracellular and intracellular forms of C. trachomatis are sensitive to NTP treatment; (ii) the reduction in concentration of infectious bacteria after NTP treatment of infected cells is superior to the reduction in viability of host cells; and (iii) the effect of NTP on intracellular bacteria does not depend on UV rays.