Meeting Abstract
In the last decade, advances in atmospheric pressure plasma technology have been utilized for several medical applications including tissue regeneration. Previously we have reported that application of plasma to amputated tail creates a favorable milieu for enhanced tail regeneration in tadpoles Xenopus laevis. Presently we carried out in situ staining for reactive oxygen species (ROS), immunohistochemistry as well as western blot analysis for superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase and histology of the regenerate following plasma exposure. Amputated tail region was immediately exposed to helium plasma for 40 seconds. We show an increased ROS production during first 24h and 5d post amputation at the wound site in plasma treated tadpoles. Immunohistochemistry for SOD revealed higher activity for SOD in wound epithelium and blastema at 24h and 5d post amputation in plasma treated tadpoles compared to control. Beneath the wound epithelium, there were groups of cells (possibly dedifferentiated?) which showed double immunostaining for both the enzymes being higher in experimental tadpoles. Blastema was more cellular with dendritic cells (probably immune cells) also revealed increased SOD expression in plasma treated tadpoles. These observations suggest requirement for resident immune cells and SOD in wound healing and regeneration as well as inflammation. Histologically, in plasma treated tadpoles, cells of wound and blastemic epithelium showed several characteristics of temporary cellular hypoxia. Increased ROS in plasma treated tadpoles, might be acting signaling molecules stimulating morphogenetic events of the regenerate and simultaneous increase in antioxidant defenses (SOD) help modifying the dynamics of wound healing and regeneration.
