Antitumor effect of synergistic contribution of nitrite and hydrogen peroxide in the plasma activated medium

Non-equilibrium atmospheric pressure plasmas (NEAPP) have been attracted attention in the noble application of cancer therapy. Although good effects of the Plasma-Activated-Medium (PAM) such as the selective antitumor effect and killing effect for the anticancer agent resistant cells were reported, a mechanism of this effect has not been still clarified yet. In this study, we have investigated a contribution of the reactive nitrogen and oxygen species (RNOS) generated in PAM such as hydrogen peroxide and nitrite. Those species generated in the PAM quantitatively measured by light absorbance of commercial regent. Moreover, viable cell count after cell culture with those RNOS intentionally added medium or PAM were also measured by MTS assay. Our NEAPP source generated hydrogen peroxide and nitrite with the generation ratio of 0.35 $\mu$M/s and 9.8 $\mu$M/s. In those RNOS, hydrogen peroxide has respective antitumor effect. On the other hands, nitrite has no antitumor effect singly. But, synergistically enhance the antitumor effect of hydrogen peroxide. Moreover, this effect of those RNOS also contribute for the selectively cancer killing effect of PAM.