Tetrachloroaurate (III)-induced oxidation increases non-thermal plasma-induced oxidative stress

Non-thermal plasma (NTP) devices have been explored for medical applications. NTP devices discharge electrons, positive ions, ultraviolet (UV), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), such as the hydroxyl radical (^•OH), singlet oxygen (¹O₂), superoxide (O₂^•-), hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), ozone, and nitric oxide, at near-physiological temperature. At preclinical stages or in human clinical trials, NTP promotes blood coagulation, eradication of bacterial, viral, and biofilm-related infections, wound healing, and cancer cell death. Here, we observed that ferric, vanadium, and gold(III) ions significantly elevated lipid peroxidation, which was measured by 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) in combination with NTP exposure. Using 3,3,5,5-tetramethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (M4PO) as a spin probe in electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), we observed that tetrachloroaurate (III) yielded an M4PO-X spin adduct. Tetrachloroaurate-induced oxidation was attenuated efficiently by reduced (GSH) and oxidized glutathione (GSSG), while glycine (Gly), and L-glutamate (Glu), components of GSH, were ineffective. Furthermore, GSH and GSSG efficiently suppressed tetrachloroaurate-induced lipid peroxidation, while Gly and Glu were ineffective in suppressing TBARS elevation. These results indicate that tetrachloroaurate-induced oxidation is attenuated by GSH as well as GSSG. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the redox reactions between metal ions and biomolecules to advance the clinical application of NTP.