Cold Atmospheric Plasma Inhibits Lipogenesis and Proliferation of Human Sebocytes and Decreases Sebum Production in Human Facial Skin

Figure 4

Effect of argon- and nitrogen-NTAPP pulses on the viability and lipid synthesis of human sebocytes. (a) SZ95 sebocytes were treated with argon- and nitrogen-NTAPP pulses for 48 hours and then subjected to an MTT assay. Data are shown as the mean ± SEM (n = 3). (b) Representative confocal immunofluorescence images of BODIPY in SZ95 sebocytes treated with T/LA alone for 48 hours or in combination with argon- and nitrogen-NTAPP pulses immediately or 24 hours after T/LA treatment. Scale bars represent 50 μm. (c) Average numbers of BODIPY-positive puncta in SZ95 sebocytes are shown as a bar graph. Data indicate the mean ± SEM (n = 25). (d) Neutral lipids were quantified by Nile red staining and then measured using a fluorometric imaging plate reader. Data indicate the mean ± SEM. (e) PPARɣ mRNA expression was analyzed by quantitative PCR analysis. Results are normalized to the internal control GAPDH and are shown relative to those in control cells incubated in the culture medium. Data are expressed as the mean ± SEM of three independent experiments. ^# versus the untreated control and , , versus T/LA-treated cells by two-tailed unpaired Student’s t-test. T/LA, testosterone/linoleic acid; Ar, argon; Ni, nitrogen; p, pulses.

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