Assessment of the therapeutic effect of the drug Molixan in the treatment of Syrian hamsters experimentally infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus

Abstract

Background. Studying the characteristics of the course of coronavirus infection caused by SARS-CoV-2 remains relevant due to the high mutagenicity of the virus and the prevalence of the disease in the world. The search for new drugs to eliminate clinical manifestations of COVID-19, as well as against its agent, is essential. During the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2, dexamethasone was recognized as the only effective anti-inflammatory drug for the treatment of patients with severe form of the disease, but its use leads to a large number of side effects.The aim. To study the therapeutic effect of the drug Molixan in the treatment of coronavirus infection in model animals – Syrian hamsters.Methods. To assess the effectiveness of the drug Molixan, we carried out a visual assessment of the condition of the lungs using light microscopy and the morphometry of the lung tissue of experimentally infected Syrian hamsters on the day 6 after infection under different Molixan treatment regimens and during dexamethasone therapy. The test drug was administered using three different doses (22.2 mg/kg, 44.4 mg/kg and 88.8 mg/kg, which are equivalent to doses of 3 mg/kg, 6 mg/kg and 12 mg/kg of human body weight) once daily or dividing the dose into two within 12 h interval in case of multiple (5 days) intramuscular administration. Dexamethasone (comparison drug) was administered at a dose of 20 mg/kg once daily for 5 days.Results. The studies showed statistically significant effectiveness of using Molixan at a dose of 44.4 mg/kg, divided into two doses, during 5 days. When compared with untreated hamsters, this treatment regimen reduces the degree of generalization and severity of the inflammatory process in the lungs; and the pathomorphological picture is similar to that observed during treatment with Dexamethasone.Conclusion. The studied drug Molixan is effective as an anti-inflammatory drug in the treatment of the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.