Modifications of Blood Molecular Components after Treatment with Low Ozone Concentrations

The ex vivo treatment of a limited volume of blood with gaseous oxygen–ozone (O₂–O₃) mixtures and its rapid reinfusion into the patient is a widespread medical procedure. O₃ instantly reacts with the blood’s antioxidant systems, disappearing before reinfusion, although the molecules formed act as messengers in the organism, inducing multiple antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses. An appropriate dose of O₃ is obviously essential to ensure both safety and therapeutic efficacy, and in recent years, the low-dose O₃ concept has led to a significant reduction in the administered O₃ concentrations. However, the molecular events triggered by such low concentrations in the blood still need to be fully elucidated. In this basic study, we analysed the molecular modifications induced ex vivo in sheep blood by 5 and 10 µg O₃/mL O₂ by means of a powerful metabolomics analysis in association with haemogas, light microscopy and bioanalytical assays. This combined approach revealed increased oxygenation and an increased antioxidant capacity in the O₃-treated blood, which accorded with the literature. Moreover, original information was obtained on the impact of these low O₃ concentrations on the metabolic pathways of amino acids, carbohydrates, lipids and nucleotides, with the modified metabolites being mostly involved in the preservation of the oxidant–antioxidant balance and in energy production.