The Effects of Helium-Generated Cold Plasma on the Parameters of Heart Rate Variability in Rats

Abstract

Abstract—The goal of the present study was to evaluate the mechanism of the systemic response to helium-generated cold plasma based on heart rate variability indices in rats. The experiments were performed using 20 male Wistar rats. The animals were divided into two equal groups containing 10 rats per each group. In animals of the control group, a single measurement of the microcirculation indices was performed. The rats of the experimental group were exposed to helium-generated cold plasma applied onto the skin on the back (1 min) for 10 days. Helium-generated cold plasma was produced with a special device designed at the Institute of Applied Physics (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) using the principle of microwave-induced ionization of the gas stream. The electrocardiograms were recorded using a Polyspectr diagnostic complex (Ivanovo, Russia). The statistical analysis of the electrocardiograms and calculation of spectral parameters was performed according to the standard algorithms. It has been found that the exposure to helium-generated cold plasma led to the formation of non-specific (adaptive) changes in heart rate. These changes manifested in the form of moderate tachycardia, the activation of sympathetic stimulation of myocardium, and a proportional decrease in the spectrum power within all frequency ranges.