Figure 4

NO plays a key role in non-thermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NTAPP)-induced proliferation of adipose tissue-derived stem cells.

(A) ASCs pretreated with culture medium alone (as the negative control) or 30 μM carboxy-PTIO were exposed to NTAPP for a total of 10 times. Cells were totally incubated for 72 h after the initial NTAPP exposure. Cell viability was measured by MTT assays, and the results were represented as mean ± SEM; N = 4. P < 0.05 (*) indicates significant differences among samples. (B) Different concentrations of DETA-NONOate (untreated, 10, 20, and 30 μM) were added to the medium containing ASCs. carboxy-PTIO (30 μM) was added to medium containing 30 μM DETA. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay, and the results were represented as mean ± SEM. N = 4. P < 0.05 (*) indicates significant differences compared with each sample. (C,D) The expression of (C) Akt, phospho-Akt, ERK1/2, and phospho-ERK1/2, and (D) NF-κB and phospho-NF-κB in NTAPP-exposed ASCs was analyzed by western blot at 0, 9, and 72 h from the initial exposure. Actin was used as the loading control.