Biochemical Markers in Metabolism of Connective Tissue in the Blood of Experimental Rats after Different Options of Intervertebral Discs Denucleation of Lumbar Spine

The article deals with the features of the metabolism of connective tissue based on the results of the examination of blood serum in experimental rats after the influence of the laser and radiofrequency ablation on the development of degenerative changes in the intervertebral discs in the lumbar spine. Material and methods. The experiment was conducted on 30 white laboratory male rats, age of animals – 6 months, body weight – 250±30 g. Animals underwent denucleation of the core of intervertebral discs. In the first experimental group, the animals were subjected to denuclearization of the intervertebral discs L1-L5, after which the disk removing site was exposed to the laser ("Liqueur-surgeon", capacity 4-6 watts, dose – 1000 joules, duration – 1 second). In the second experimental group there was an effect of radio frequency ablation (radio frequency generator – Elliquence Surgi-Max, mode – bipolar, duration – 1 second). In the control group no additional actions on the spine tissue were performed. The control group of animals consisted of intact rats (n=5). In blood serum of animals at 30 and 45 days after the operation, the following biochemical parameters were studied: glycoproteins, chondroitinsulfates, total calcium, β-lipoproteins, glycosaminoglycans (GAG) fractions – chondroitin-6-, -4- and heparansulfate. Results and discussion. In the rats of the first group, the content of glycoproteins in the blood for 30 days was increased by 42.1 %, for 45 days – by 72.2 %, chondroitin sulfates – by 26.3 % and 57.1 %, respectively, as compared to those in intact animals. The content of general GAG was increased by34.0% for 30 days, and by 53.1% for 45 days. This happened mainly due to chondroitin-6-sulfate compared to intact animals. The content of hydroxyproline in the blood was increased by 32.0 % for 30 days, and by 34.0 % for 45 days compared to intact animals. In the second group of animals, the content of glycoproteins in the blood increased by 18.3 % for 30 days, hydroxyproline increased by 60.7 % for 45 days by 7.9 % and by 2.13 times, respectively, compared to intact animals. In the third group of rats for 30 and 45 days, the content of glycoproteins and chondroitin sulfates in blood did not differ from intact animals, but the content of hydroxyproline was increased by 63.7% and 2.33 times, respectively, compared with those in intact animals. It should be noted that the degree of increase in the content of hydroxyproline in the third group was higher compared with the second group, which may indicate a more active development of degenerative-dystrophic changes and the formation of fibrosis in the place of denucleation under the action of the intervertebral low-frequency ablation disk. Conclusions. Thus, it is obvious that according to the results of experimental studies, the method of radiofrequency ablation is less traumatic in comparison with laser vaporization and can be applied in clinical practice for treating the cavity of the disk, its faster fibrotization, which will contribute to the improvement of the stability of the spinal segments in elderly patients.