Systemic study on the safety of immuno-deficient nude mice treated by atmospheric plasma-activated water

Cold atmospheric-pressure plasma is a new technology, widely used in many fields of biomedicine,especially in cancer treatment. Cold plasma can selectively kill a variety of tumor cells, and its biological safety in clinical trials is also very important. In many cases, the patient’s immune level is relatively low, so we first studied the safety assessment of plasma treatment in an immunocompromised animal model. In this study, we examined the safety of immuno-deficient nude mice by oral lavage treatment of plasma-activated water, and studied the growth status, main organs and blood biochemical indexes. Acute toxicity test results showed that the maximum dose of plasma treatment for 15 min had no lethal effect and other acute toxicity. There were no significant changes in body weight and survival status of mice after 2 min and 4 min of plasma-activated water(PAW)treatment for 2 weeks. After treatment, the major organs, including heart, liver, spleen, lung and kidney, were not significantly changed in organ coefficient and tissue structure. Blood biochemical markers showed that blood neutrophils and mononuclear cells were slightly increased, and the others remained unchanged. Liver function, renal function, electrolytes, glucose metabolism and lipid metabolism were not affected by different doses of PAW treatment. The above results indicate that PAW treatment can be used to treat immuno-deficient nude mice without significant safety problems.

Assessment of Domestic Water Sources Safety: Application of the Micro Biological Survey Method and Microbiological Profile of the Contaminating Bacteria

Water is essential for human life and it’s expected to be clean and safe. In Cameroon, government efforts to improve access to drinking water are mitigated. Many households are suffering from chronic water shortages leading to the majority of people using doubtful water sources. This study was carried out in accordance with guidelines produced by the STARBIOS2-EU funded project on Responsible Research and Innovation and aimed to assess the microbiological quality of water samples collected from domestic water sources in 3 divisions of the West region of Cameroon. 22 water samples from well water, stream, water pump and river were aseptically collected. At each sampling point, 50 mL of sample was taken aseptically and immediately transported to the laboratory for analysis. The detection of Coliforms bacteria was done using Micro Biological Survey (MBS) method. 1 mL of each sample was inoculated in the Coliforms MBS (Coli MBS) vial initially rehydrated with 10 mL of sterile distilled water. The Coli MBS vials were closed, shaken for homogenization, and then incubated at 37°C. From the initial red color of the Coli MBS vials, changes in color to yellow of the reaction vials were monitored at three different time intervals (12 h, 19 h and 24 h), corresponding to three levels of bacterial concentration. All positives samples on MBS method were selected to determine the presence of E. coli Loop full broths of Coli MBS vials were taken;streaked into the eosin methylene blue (EMB) agar plate and incubated at 37°C for 24 hours. E. coli was confirmed by observing green metallic sheen on EMB agar plate. The biochemical indole, methyl red, Voges-Proskauer and citrate (IMViC) test was performed to determine the complete microbiological profile of the water samples. Almost all the water samples were contaminated with Total Coliforms (TC). A high concentration of TC (>103 CFU/mL) was found in 8 samples (36.4%), a medium concentration (10 < x < 103 CFU/mL) was observed in 10 samples (45.5%) and 2 samples (9.1%) were low concentrated (1 < x < 10 CFU/mL). 8 samples were positive for the presence of E. coli by observing the green metallic sheen on EMB agar plates. The IMViC test confirmed the presences of 5 bacteria species: Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella spp., E. coli spp., Salmonella spp. and Shigella spp. We recommend integrating sanitary assessment in the design and implementation of water supply projects. Regular water purification using proper methods and maintenances of the water point. Regular microbiological quality assessment of water intended for human consumption should be planned and carried out.