Growth inhibition effect on Trypanosoma brucei gambiense by the oxidative stress supplied from low-temperature plasma at atmospheric pressure

Abstract

Abstract Trypanosoma brucei (Tb) is a pathogenic protozoan causing sleeping sickness in humans. Despite little knowledge of how the produced reactive oxygen species (ROS) kills this protozoan, the research on the killing mechanism using chemical compounds and the phagosome in the macrophages has suggested that the protozoan is highly susceptible to the increased oxidative stress. Because the prescribed drug can react with various kinds of molecules and the second produced intermediate compounds, in this study, we clarified the immediate killing effect on Tb in the condition of increased oxidative stress using a low-temperature plasma at atmospheric pressure (LTP) equipment. Results Show the significant growth inhibition of Tb in the LTP-treated medium, the loss of morphological homeostasis with twisted to puffed appearance, and demonstrated the swelled changes on mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. In conclusion, this study revealed how the increased oxidative stress kills Tb using LTP technology.