In this study, we used an argon-based round atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (APPJ) for enhancing wound healing in streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic rats. The APPJ was characterized by optical emission spectroscopy. We induced Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes in rats with different amounts of STZ combined with normal and high-fat diets, respectively. The wound area ratio of all the plasma-treated normal and diabetic groups was greatly reduced (up to 30%) compared with that of the untreated groups during healing. Histological analysis revealed faster re-epithelialization, collagen deposition, less inflammation, and a complete skin structure in the plasma-treated groups was found as compared with the untreated control groups. In addition, the new blood vessels of plasma-treated tissues decreased more than untreated tissues in the middle (Day 14) and late (Day 21) stages of wound healing. The plasma-treated wounds demonstrated more transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) expression in the early stage (Day 7), whereas they decreased in the middle and late stages of wound healing. The levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) increased after plasma treatment. In addition, plasma-treated water had a higher concentration of hydrogen peroxide, nitrite and nitrate when the plasma treatment time was longer. In summary, the proposed argon APPJ based on the current study could be a potential tool for treating diabetic wounds.

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Background Restenosis remains a significant problem in endovascular therapy for hemodialysis vascular access. Drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty decreases restenosis in peripheral and coronary artery diseases. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to assess the patency outcomes following DCB angioplasty, as compared to conventional balloon (CB) angioplasty for the stenosis of hemodialysis vascular access. Methods A comprehensive search in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases was conducted in order to identify eligible randomized controlled trials evaluating DCB angioplasty for hemodialysis vascular access dysfunction. The primary endpoint was the 6-month target lesion primary patency and the secondary endpoints were 12-month target lesion primary patency and procedure-related complications. Risk ratios (RR) were pooled and relevant subgroups were analyzed separately. Results Eleven randomized controlled trials comprised of 487 patients treated with DCB angioplasty and 489 patients treated with CB angioplasty were included. There were no significant

In this study, we developed a rat model of acute wound healing treated by a cold and touchable Ar/O 2 atmospheric-pressure plasma jet (APPJ) with a jet gas temperature of < 37°C and a length of 15 mm. To generate more abundant reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), we added various amounts of oxygen into argon. We have found that, with 0.04% oxygen addition, the APPJ can generate the most abundant ROS/ RNS such as hydroxyl radicals (OH*), N 2 2nd+ , and O atom in the jet region based on the optical emission spectroscopymeasurements. We then applied the APPJ to treat open wounds of rats ated two wound sizes with diameters of 8 mm (small) and 21 mm (large). The results show that APPJ treatment with 0.04% oxygen addition can greatly accelerate wound healing, especially for the group with large wounds compared with the control group without any treatment. We explain this wound-healing enhancement with plasma jet treatment using a standard histologic experimental groups.

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