Effects of molecular size and chemical factor on plasma gene transfection

In order to clarify the mechanism of plasma gene transfection, the relationship between transfection efficiency and transferred molecular size was investigated. Molecules with low molecular mass (less than 50 kDa; dye or dye-labeled oligonucleotide) and high molecular mass (more than 1 MDa; plasmid DNA or fragment of plasmid DNA) were transferred to L-929 cells. It was found that the transfection efficiency decreases with increasing in transferred molecular size and also depends on the tertiary structure of transferred molecules. Moreover, it was suggested the transfection mechanism is different between the molecules with low (less than 50 kDa) and high molecular mass (higher than 1 MDa). For the amount of gene transfection after plasma irradiation, which is comparable to that during plasma irradiation, it is shown that H2O2 molecules are the main contributor. The transfection efficiency decreased to 0.40 ± 0.22 upon scavenging the H2O2 generated by plasma irradiation using the catalase. On the other hand, when the H2O2 solution is dropped into the cell suspension without plasma irradiation, the transfection efficiency is almost 0%. In these results, it is also suggested that there is a synergetic effect of H2O2 with electrical factors or other reactive species generated by plasma irradiation.