Cissampelos sympodialis (Cs) is an herb used for the 
treatment of several diseases due to its anti-inflammatory 
properties. The present study investigated the effect of oral 
administration of Cs extract on STZ-induced diabetes in 
mice. Diabetes was induced by three i.p. injections of STZ 
(100 mg/Kg) in male BALB/c mice. The mice were 
randomly divided into four groups: control group, STZ 
group, Cs 0.4 group (0,4mg/Kg) and Cs 4 group (4mg/Kg). 
At the 50th day of protocol mice were euthanized and serum 
insulin and fasting blood glucose were determined by 
ELISA and electrical feeder, respectively. Changes in 
pancreas
 architecture were assessed
 through 
histopathological examination using hematoxilin-eosin 
method. We also evaluated cytokine (IL-10, IL-4, and IL
17) production in spleen cell culture from diabetic mice 
stimulated or not with pokeweed mitogen by ELISA. The 
treatment with Cs extract was not able to reduce blood 
glucose levels or to increase insulin production in any of the 
time points evaluated after STZ injection. However, 
treatment with Cs extract was able to prevent damage on 
islets’ morphology. Additionally, Cs extract at the concentrations evaluated was not able to modulate 
cytokine production in vitro by spleen cells. Cissampelos 
sympodialis can indirectly contribute to the reduction of 
the inflammatory response characteristic on STZ-induced 
diabetes in mice, which might be associated to the 
reduction of the damage on the islets.