Effect of ozone/oxygen mixture on systemic oxidative stress and organic damage

Abstract

Ozone is a molecule of high energetic content. Its great oxidative power has been used in medicine for the treatment of several illnesses with a wide spectrum. The rectal insufflation with a mixture of ozone/oxygen is considered as a simple therapy, not painful, of low cost and practically free from adverse effects. Given its potential oxidation and lack of side-effects, the objective has been to know the state of different indexes of redox state in blood which may contribute to understanding the mechanism by which mixtures of ozone/oxygen administered by intrarectal route are able to exert actions on other organs. With this purpose female rabbits were used, distributed into four groups, and three doses of ozone/oxygen mixture were tested. When treatment was finished, the determination of pro-oxidant and antioxidant markers was carried out. Also indexes of organic damage were determined. Ozone doses administered to rabbits did not cause adverse effects and mortality did not show significant changes relative to tissue damages and they increased enzymes activities belonging to the first line antioxidant defences. The results demonstrate that ozone/oxygen mixture administered by rectal insufflations is innocuous and it is able to increase the antioxidant defense of the organism.