ABSTRACT
ABSTRACT Introduction The appropriate closure of the urinary bladder is important to many urologic procedures to avoid the formation of fistulas and strictures by excessive fibrosis. This paper presents the alterations in the bladder healing process of rats after the topical use of Copaiba oil (Copaifera reticulata). Material and Methods Ten male Wistar rats were used and randomly divided into two groups: Control group (CG): injected 1ml/kg of saline solution on the suture line; and Copaiba group (CpG): 0.63ml/kg of copaiba oil applied to the suture line. Euthanasia was performed on the seventh day after surgery. The criteria observed were adherences formation, histopathological modifications and stereology for collagen. Results Both groups showed adhesions to the bladder, with no statistically significant difference (p=0.1481). The microscopic evaluation revealed a trend to more severe acute inflammation process on the CpG, but there was statistical difference only in the giant cells reaction (p=0.0472) and vascular proliferation (p=0.0472). The stereology showed no difference. Conclusion The copaiba oil modified the healing process, improving the quantity of giant cells and vascular proliferation, but not interfered in the collagen physiology.