Italian Journal of Anatomy and Embryology - contenuto non piu disponibile

Atmospheric pressure cold plasma (APCP) is a novel tool for tissue disinfection that has also positive effects on wound healing. We recently reported that two minutes of APCP, generated through the ionization of helium gas, exerted an antimicrobial effect without significant damage to cells and tissues (1), effects that may induce also fibroblast proliferation (2). The aim of the present study was to ascertain the molecular changes induced by 2min APCP in vitro and in vivo using human dermal fibroblasts obtained from four different donors and an in vivo mouse skin wound healing model. Scratch wound healing assay on dermal fibroblasts exposed for two min to APCP showed an improved cell migration, whereas RT-PCR analysis revealed an increased expression of cytokines and growth factors involved in wound healing, such as IL6, FGF2 and TNFα. The in vitro effects of APCP exposure on dermal fibroblast viability demonstrated that two min of plasma application did not cause changes in the viability of two cell preparations but induced a significant increase in viability of fibroblasts from the other two donors, when compared to the untreated control (p