ArticleFrontiers in neurology2025
Efficacy of polyethylene glycol in the treatment of spinal cord injury and its effect on inflammatory response and oxidative stress factors.
Article in Frontiers in neurology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Tissue engineering for traumatic spinal cord injury: Research advances and clinical translation.Bioactive materials · 2026Review
- Photobiomodulation therapy and polyethylene glycol as monotherapy versus combination treatment in male and female rats following spinal cord injury.Lasers in medical science · 2026Article
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Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
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Abstract
Introduction: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a severe condition characterized by neuroinflammation and oxidative stress, which hinder neurological recovery. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) has shown multiple therapeutic benefits in SCI, such as repairing axonal membranes, improving the post-injury microenvironment, preventing nerve fiber degeneration, and inhibiting spinal cord vacuolation and scar formation. Based on these properties, PEG is regarded as a potential fusogen capable of promoting functional recovery after SCI. This study aimed to further investigate the effects of PEG on SCI and elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms using a mouse spinal cord total transection model. Methods: A mouse model of complete spinal cord transection was established to evaluate the therapeutic potential of PEG. Motor function recovery was assessed using the Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) and footprint analysis. Oxidative stress levels were measured via superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) assay kits, while inflammatory cytokine expression was analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Histopathological examination was performed to evaluate axonal and myelin preservation and cystic vacuole formation. Immunofluorescence staining was used to observe axonal regeneration and neuroprotection. Additionally, electrophysiological tests were conducted to assess the recovery of nerve conduction. Results: Mice treated with PEG showed significantly improved BMS scores at 7, 14, and 28 days post-injury compared to the untreated SCI group, indicating enhanced motor function recovery. Biochemical assays revealed that PEG markedly reduced oxidative stress and suppressed the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines during the early phase of SCI. Histopathological analysis demonstrated that PEG treatment protected spinal cord axons and myelin tissue and significantly reduced the formation of cystic vacuoles. Immunofluorescence results indicated that PEG exerted neuroprotective effects and promoted axonal regeneration after SCI. Electrophysiological assessments further confirmed improved recovery of nerve conduction in PEG-treated mice. Discussion: The findings of this study demonstrate that PEG, as a fusogen, exhibits significant neuroprotective and regenerative effects when applied immediately after SCI. PEG not only attenuated oxidative stress and neuroinflammation but also preserved axonal integrity, promoted myelin protection, and enhanced functional recovery. These results suggest that early application of PEG represents an innovative and promising therapeutic strategy for SCI, warranting further investigation into its long-term efficacy and potential clinical translation.
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