Preferential killing of human lung cancer cell lines with mitochondrial dysfunction by nonthermal dielectric barrier discharge plasma

K Panngom,J H Han,K Y Baik,M K Nam,H Rhim,E H Choi

doi:10.1038/cddis.2013.168

K Panngom, J H Han + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1038/cddis.2013.168

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Abstract

The distinctive cellular and mitochondrial dysfunctions of two human lung cancer cell lines (H460 and HCC1588) from two human lung normal cell lines (MRC5 and L132) have been studied by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma treatment. This cytotoxicity is exposure time-dependent, which is strongly mediated by the large amount of H2O2 and NOx in culture media generated by DBD nonthermal plasma. It is found that the cell number of lung cancer cells has been reduced more than that of the lung normal cells. The mitochondrial vulnerability to reactive species in H460 may induce distinctively selective responses. Differential mitochondrial membrane potential decrease, mitochondrial enzymatic dysfunction, and mitochondrial morphological alteration are exhibited in two cell lines. These results suggest the nonthermal plasma treatment as an efficacious modality in lung cancer therapy.

Highlights

reactive oxygen species (ROS) generating drugs for preferential cytotoxicity in cancer cells.[2,3] In that sense, the nonthermal plasma had been introduced as a tool with a potential of shifting current paradigm of cancer treatment.[4]
This differential sensitivity is shown to be strongly related to the mitochondrial dysfunctions, such as morphological changes, reduction in mitochondrial metabolic activity, and reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP)
When we stained them with propidium iodide (PI) dye together, we found that H460 undergoes apoptosis at a faster rate than MRC5 (Supplementary Figure S4, supporting information)

Summary

Introduction

ROS generating drugs for preferential cytotoxicity in cancer cells.[2,3] In that sense, the nonthermal plasma had been introduced as a tool with a potential of shifting current paradigm of cancer treatment.[4]. As cancer cells from different organs have differential responses to the same plasma stimuli,[13] cells originated from same organ should be used for sounding out the potential of plasma cancer therapy In this experiment, we examined a cancer cell line H460 and normal cell lines MRC5 and L132 from human lung. We present the preferential killing of lung cancer cells to lung normal cells by nonthermal DBD plasma treatment This differential sensitivity is shown to be strongly related to the mitochondrial dysfunctions, such as morphological changes, reduction in mitochondrial metabolic activity, and reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP). This first report of preferential killing of human lung cancer cells possibly opens new lung cancer therapy by using nonthermal plasma

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