Plasma-activated medium induces apoptosis in chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer cells: High selectivity and synergy with carboplatin

In the present study, A2780 CP and SKOV-3 cells, relevant to ovarian cancer and granulosa cells, as normal ovarian cells, were evaluated through cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) directly, indirectly, and by a concomitant modality of plasma-activated medium (PAM) with common drugs to overcome chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer. Our results confirm the high potential of PAM in comparison to common drugs and CAP for the selected cell lines, and the selectivity mechanism was related to the pH and concentration of H2O2, NO2-, and NO3- reactive species in the plasma-treated medium. Our data confirm that PAM alone and in combination with carboplatin sensitizes cancer cells to carboplatin, inhibits the SOD1 gene, and selectively induces apoptosis accompanied by high expression of p53, bax, and activation of caspase-3.

Automated summary

The study demonstrates the high potential of plasma-activated medium in sensitizing ovarian cancer cells to carboplatin, inducing apoptosis, and inhibiting antioxidant genes. Selective mechanisms were related to the pH and concentration of reactive species in the plasma-treated medium.