Acute spinal cord injury (aSCI) is a serious pathological condition that affects several individuals in different regions of the world and may cause physical and/or psychological sequelae. The available treatment is ineffective, which demands on development of new therapeutic approaches. The development of neuroprotective agents is of fundamental importance for the tissue preservation after aSCI. In the Amazon rain forests there are a multitude of medicinal plants, whose potential anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects have not been investigated. Cipó-pucá (Cissus verticillata) is used for treatment of stroke in folk medicine, but its effects are not scientifically proven and have not been investigated after aSCI. In this study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of the supercritical extract of cipó-pucá in an experimental model of aSCI in adult rats. The extracts of leaves of cipó-pucá were obtained by extraction with supercritical fluid. The animals underwent partial hemisection surgery of the spinal cord and were treated with extract of cipó-pucá (50 mg / kg) or vehicle. They were perfused at 24 hours postinjury. The gross histopathology was performed by hematoxylin-eosin staining. Immunohistochemical analysis for visualization of neurons, microglia, astrocytes and neutrophils were performed using antibodies against NeuN, CD68, caspase-3 and MBS-1, respectively. The quantitative analysis showed neuronal preservation and, reduction of the apoptotic cells, activated microglia and inflammatory infiltrate (neutrophils) in treated animals compared to the control group, suggesting a neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory effect of the supercritical extract of cipó-pucá in the aSCI model.
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