Bactericidal efficacy of cold atmospheric plasma treatment against multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Aim: The global of spread multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa has become a public health threat. Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) is reported to have bactericidal efficacy; however, its effects on clinical super multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa are unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the bactericidal efficacy of CAP on a strain of super multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa. Materials & methods: The effects of CAP treatments were evaluated using assays for the detection of growth, viability, metabolism, virulence factors and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels. Results: Both CAP treatments dose-dependently inhibited cell viability and metabolic activity, and decreased the expression of several virulence factors. CAP treatment induced a significant increase in intracellular ROS levels, and ROS scavengers inhibited this effect. Conclusion: CAP treatment is a promising option for the clinical inhibition of multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa, and the development of CAP technologies might be the key to solving the long-standing problem of drug-resistant bacteria.