Some Beneficial Effects of Inert Gases on Blood Oxidative Metabolism: In Vivo Study

The aim of the study was to assess the effect of external use of inert gases (helium and argon) on the state of free radical processes in vivo. The experiment was performed on 30 male Wistar stock rats (age-3 months, weight-200-220 g.), randomly distributed into 3 equal groups. The first group of animals was intact (n = 10). The animals of the second and third groups were treated with argon and helium streams, respectively. Our research has allowed us to establish that the studied inert gases have a modulating effect on the state of oxidative metabolism of rat blood, and the nature of this effect is directly determined by the type of gas. The results of this study allowed us to establish the potential antioxidant effect of the helium stream, mainly realized due to the activation of the catalytic properties of the enzymatic link of the antioxidant system of rat blood plasma. At the same time, the revealed features of shifts in oxidative metabolism during treatment with argon flow include not only stimulation of the antioxidant system but also the pronounced induction of free radical oxidation. Thus, the conducted studies made it possible to verify the specificity of the response of the oxidative metabolism of blood plasma to the use of inert gases, depending on their type.

Cold Argon Athmospheric Plasma for Biomedicine: Biological Effects, Applications and Possibilities

Currently, plasma medicine is a synthetic direction that unites the efforts of specialists of various profiles. For the successful formation of plasma medicine, it is necessary to solve a large complex of problems, including creating equipment for generating cold plasma, revealing the biological effects of this effect, as well as identifying and justifying the most promising areas of its application. It is known that these biological effects include antibacterial and antiviral activity, the ability to stimulate hemocoagulation, pro-regenerative properties, etc. The possibility of using the factor in tissue engineering and implantology is also shown. Based on this, the purpose of this review was to form a unified understanding of the biological effects and biomedical applications of argon cold plasma. The review shows that cold plasma, like any other physical and chemical factors, has dose dependence, and the variable parameter in this case is the exposure of its application. One of the significant characteristics determining the specificity of the cold plasma effect is the carrier gas selection. This gas carrier is not just an ionized medium but modulates the response of biosystems to it. Finally, the perception of cold plasma by cellular structures can be carried out by activating a special molecular biosensor, the functioning of which significantly depends on the parameters of the medium (in the field of plasma generation and the cell itself). Further research in this area can open up new prospects for the effective use of cold plasma.