In-Vivo Biocompatibility Test Regime for Spinal Cord Injury Conduit

This report outlines an in-vivo test regime for developing a conduit for acute spinal cord injury (SCI) using graphene oxide scaffolds. The procedure involves preparing a graphene oxide scaffold, implanting it in rats with induced SCI, and comparing the results with a control group. The study focuses on assessing biocompatibility, cell type utilization, immunological responses, and histological analysis. The graphene nanoscaffolds are expected to integrate well with spinal cord tissue without causing cytotoxicity, promoting the ingrowth of neurofilaments, blood vessels, connective tissue elements, and Schwann cells. This research aims to contribute to the development of effective treatments for SCI by restoring neural cells in the spinal cord.

Spinal Cord Injury (SCI)
There are very few options for treating SCI, despite research being done for so many
years. Getting support from medical care and an early surgery decompression is the best way to
manage SCI. The disease is divided into primary and secondary spinal cord injury. The adversity
of SCI depends on the severity of the injury. The condition can form scar tissues called glial and
fibrous (O’Shea, Burda, & Sofroniew, 2017). Glial occurs when astrocytic loosen due to injury.
It can be treated using stem cells to restore neural cells in the spinal cord.
In the conducting a biocompatibility test for the preparation of a conduit on the treatment
of acute spinal cord injury, I shall utilize the following prtocedure.
i. Preparation of Graphene oxide scaffold.
Addition of 38g of grapheme oxide into 10ml of deionized water within a glass
tube. Addition of 75 grams of sodium hydrogen sulphate followed by a brief
vortexification of the mixture. I will the heat the mixture for 15 to 21 hours at a
temperature of around 90 and further cool back to room temperature. The℃
resulting hydrogel shall then be obtained from the tube and stored in deionized
water in a 20ml scindillation vial before it is used (Palejwala, et al., 2016). The
grapheme sheets are then cross-linked to form a porous structure.
ii. Implantation of Scaffold and care of the animal
I shall select transection of a hemispinal cord as a model of evaluating in vivo the
impact of grapheme implantation on the SCI immediately after the creation of
lesion. Four eight-week old rats are essential in conducting the study. Every rat
should have a weight ranging from 300g to 400g (Palejwala, et al., 2016). I shall

then administer analgesic tablets and withdraw food eight hours before surgery. I
will provide 2% isofluorane inhaler to act as anesthesia. I will shave the skin on
the upper thoracic spine. Laminectomy will be performed T2 under observation of
a surgical microscope and by employing aseptic technique. A dura will then be
opened; a hemi-segment of a width equivalent to 2mm of spinal cord will be
exercised from the left side, hence producing the SCI (Palejwala, et al., 2016). A
surgical microscope will be used to ensure no tissue is left.
Two rats shall act as control experiment. For them, a hydrogel matrix shall be laid
on the injured spinal cord and open dura. The approximation of paraspinal muscle
with sutures and closure of skin with staples will follow.
The two other rats shall ac as treatment group. In this group, a 2*2*2-mm block
of graphene oxide scaffold shall be inserted with an overlying layer of hydrogel
matrix (Palejwala, et al., 2016). The procedure will then be concluded with
closure of muscle and skin. The results for the reduced graphene oxide scaffold
integration are then compared to draw conclusions.
It is expected that graphene nanoscaffolds adhere well to the spinal cord tissue. Also,
cytotoxicity should not prevail around any area of pseudocyst around the scaffolds (Palejwala, et
al., 2016). Instead histological analysis should indicate in growth of nurofilaments, blood
vessels, connective tissue elements and Schwann cells around the graphene nanoscaffolds.

References
O’Shea, T. M., Burda, J. E., & Sofroniew, M. V. (2017). Cell biology of spinal cord injury and
repair. The Journal of clinical investigation, 127(9), 3259-3270.
Palejwala, A. H., Fridley, J. S., Mata, J. A., Samuel, E. L., Luerssen, T. G., Perlaky, L., ... & Jea,
A. (2016). Biocompatibility of reduced graphene oxide nanoscaffolds following acute
spinal cord injury in rats. Surgical neurology international, 7.