{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T01:24:09Z","timestamp":1760059449512,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":52,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,14]],"date-time":"2025-06-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1749859200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"IPN","award":["SIP20240889","SIP20240919"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["SIP20240889","SIP20240919"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Biomolecules"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Neurological damage from traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) results in a grade of disability ranging from mild to severe motor and sensory dysfunction. It occurs more frequently in men of productive age. Treatment essentially consists of anti-inflammatories and rehabilitation. Other treatments are only partially effective, and inadequate treatment and secondary conditions often cause premature mortality. The search for pharmacological approaches is a continuous effort. This study aimed to assess the effects of a natural compound on spinal cord injury (SCI) as an alternative damage prevention maneuver. We evaluated the protective effects of the flavanol (+)-epicatechin (EC) in a rat model of moderate trauma-induced SCI on protein markers of damage events. The results showed that EC induced significant protection against SCI. No changes were found in angiopoietin-1, beclin-1, myelin basic protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein, neurofilament heavy polypeptide, and neuronal nuclear antigen after the injury, suggesting that damage progression was impeded. The reduction in damage translates into better movement. The results suggest that (+)-epicatechin may be a suitable alternative for treating SCI.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/biom15060869","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,16]],"date-time":"2025-06-16T14:03:11Z","timestamp":1750082591000},"page":"869","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Positive Effects of (+)-Epicatechin on Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury Recovery"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0140-291X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristian","family":"Gonzalez-Ruiz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratorio de Investigaci\u00f3n Integral Cardiometab\u00f3lica, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico"},{"name":"Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de M\u00e9xico, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7060-6185","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rodrigo","family":"Mondrag\u00f3n-Lozano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidad de Investigaci\u00f3n M\u00e9dica en Enfermedades Neurol\u00f3gicas, Hospital de Especialidades Centro M\u00e9dico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 06600, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0715-9263","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Hermelinda","family":"Salgado-Ceballos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unidad de Investigaci\u00f3n M\u00e9dica en Enfermedades Neurol\u00f3gicas, Hospital de Especialidades Centro M\u00e9dico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City 06600, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francisco","family":"Villarreal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7576-3841","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yuridia","family":"Mart\u00ednez-Meza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratorio de Investigaci\u00f3n Integral Cardiometab\u00f3lica, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Eduardo","family":"Meaney","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratorio de Investigaci\u00f3n Integral Cardiometab\u00f3lica, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6869-8762","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nayelli","family":"N\u00e1jera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratorio de Investigaci\u00f3n Integral Cardiometab\u00f3lica, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2155-3934","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Guillermo","family":"Ceballos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Laboratorio de Investigaci\u00f3n Integral Cardiometab\u00f3lica, Escuela Superior de Medicina, Instituto Polit\u00e9cnico Nacional, Mexico City 11340, Mexico"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"618","DOI":"10.1038\/s41393-021-00704-7","article-title":"Prevalence of comorbidities and secondary health conditions among the Finnish population with spinal cord injury","volume":"60","author":"Tallqvist","year":"2022","journal-title":"Spinal Cord"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"437","DOI":"10.1590\/S0036-36342007000600011","article-title":"Lesi\u00f3n de m\u00e9dula espinal y medicina regenerativa","volume":"49","author":"Vacanti","year":"2007","journal-title":"Salud Publica Mex."},{"key":"ref_3","unstructured":"GBD Spinal Cord Injuries Collaborators (2023). 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