DNA oxidation by singlet delta oxygen produced by atmospheric pressure microdischarges

Arrays of microcathode sustained discharges were developed for the production of singlet delta oxygen (SDO) at atmospheric pressure. SDO densities higher than 3.5×1016 cm−3 have been efficiently produced and transported over distances longer than 50 cm. These arrays appear to be an ideal tool for examining the reactivity of SDO with biological components. Experiments were performed indicating that SDO is able to oxidize 2′-deoxyguanosine, a DNA constituent. It is shown that the 4-OH-8-oxodGuo formation is proportional to the number of SDO molecules while other reactive species could also be involved in the production of the nucleosides dSp and dZ.