Comparison of clinical effectiveness of intraoperative and combined fusogen therapy for the treatment of spinal cord injury in experiment

Abstract. Severe spinal cord injury, leading to a persistent neurological deficit, is currently classified as an incurable pathology. However, active research in this area has made it possible to determine the main directions of the search for the treatment of spinal cord injury. So, fundamentally different and new is the use of substances that promote the primary fusion of cell membranes, the so-called fusogens. The article presents the results of comparing two schemes of fusogen therapy developed by the authors — with intraoperative administration of a compound fusogen, and in combination with intravenous administration of a simple fusogen solution. Objective: to compare the clinical effect of two schemes of experimental fusogen therapy. Methods: California rabbits, females 2.5 kg, N=25. All animals were modeled with a spinal cord injury with its complete transverse intersection. The first group (N=10) received PEG-chitosan conjugate into the diastasis, the second group (N=10), in addition to the introduction of PEG-chitosan conjugate into the diastasis, received intravenous injection of 20 % polyethylene glycol solution. The third group (N=5) did not receive fusogens and was the control group. Motor, pelvic functions, and sensitivity were assessed using neurological deficit scales for experimental animals. Results: in the group with the combined use of fusogens, there was an accelerated recovery of spinal cord functions, compared with the regimen, which implies only intraoperative administration, and the final indicators of neurological deficit reached high values. Conclusion: intraoperative administration of fusogen in combination with intravenous administration accelerates the process of recovery of spinal cord functions after its complete transection in the experiment, and shows the best results in the final values of neurological deficit. 

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