Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a significant cause of disability, and treatment alternatives that generate beneficial outcomes and have no side effects are urgently needed. SCI may be treatable if intervention is initiated promptly. Therefore, several treatment proposals are currently being evaluated. Inflammation is part of a complex physiological response to injury or harmful stimuli induced by mechanical, chemical, or immunological agents. Neuroinflammation is one of the principal secondary changes following SCI and plays a crucial role in modulating the pathological progression of acute and chronic SCI. This review describes the main inflammatory events occurring after SCI and discusses recently proposed potential treatments and therapeutic agents that regulate inflammation after insult in animal models.

Patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) face devastating health, social, and financial consequences, as well as their families and caregivers. Reducing the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and oxidative stress are essential strategies for SCI treatment. Some compounds from traditional medicine could be useful to decrease ROS generated after SCI. This review is aimed at highlighting the importance of some natural compounds with antioxidant capacity used in traditional medicine to treat traumatic SCI. An electronic search of published articles describing animal models of SCI treated with natural compounds from traditional medicine was conducted using the following terms: Spinal Cord Injuries (MeSH terms) AND Models, Animal (MeSH terms) AND [Reactive Oxygen Species (MeSH terms) AND/OR Oxidative Stress (MeSH term)] AND Medicine, Traditional (MeSH terms). Articles reported from 2010 to 2018 were included. The results were further screened by title and abstract for studies performed in rats, mice, and nonhuman primates. The effects of these natural compounds are discussed, including their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties. Moreover, the antioxidant properties of natural compounds were emphasized since oxidative stress has a fundamental role in the generation and progression of several pathologies of the nervous system. The use of these compounds diminishes toxic effects due to their high antioxidant capacity. These compounds have been tested in animal models with promising results; however, no clinical studies have been conducted in humans. Further research of these natural compounds is crucial to a better understanding of their effects in patients with SCI.

Estrogens through their intracellular receptors regulate various aspects of glucose and lipid metabolism. The effects of estrogens in metabolism can be mediated by their receptors located in different areas of the brain such as the hypothalamus, which is involved in the control of food intake, energy expenditure, and body weight homeostasis. Alterations in the metabolic regulation by estrogens participate in the pathogenesis of the metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular diseases in women. The metabolic syndrome is an important disease around the world, consisting in a combination of characteristics including abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, hypertension, and insulin resistance. It increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. It has been suggested that there is an increase in the incidence of metabolic syndrome during menopause due to estrogens deficiency. Estrogens replacement improves insulin sensitivity and reduces the risk of diabetes in rats. In the brain, estrogens through the interaction with their receptors regulate the activity of neurons involved in energy homeostasis, including appetite and satiety. Thus, estradiol and their receptors in the hypothalamus play a key role in metabolic syndrome development during menopause.