Effects of Nonthermal Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma on Drosophila Development

摘要

Nonthermal atmospheric-pressure plasma (NTAPP) is known to induce a wide range of responses at the cellular level. This study is concerned with the effects of NTAPP on a eukaryotic organism as a whole: Drosophila melanogaster. Exposure influenced the larval viability and caused an array of traits that can be classified into three major groups: (1) phenotypic anomalies in larvae (such as melanotic masses, melanized and broken trachea, incomplete shedding of the old cuticle during molting), morphological anomalies of pupae (small size, abnormal form, aberrant development, cryptocephalic forms), and developmental anomalies in adults (abnormal formation of wing, legs, and thorax); (2) larval behavior alteration (nonfeeding of first and second instar larvae, premature wandering, running away from food, immature pupae formation); and (3) excessive fat accumulation and lipid oxidation. The majority of the observed traits can be linked to molting and metamorphosis controlled by the endocrine system, in particular with the steroid hormone ecdysone. Results support the hypothesis that the interaction of NTAPP with the membranes of various organs can have a major role in the interruption of normal ecdysogenesis.