New pathways identified to reduce pain and depressive symptoms associated with fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition affecting between 2% and 6% of the global population, characterized by widespread, persistent pain often associated with fatigue, sleep disturbances, cognitive difficulties and affective symptoms. Despite its high prevalence—particularly among women—the mechanisms contributing to the development and persistence of the disease are not yet fully understood.
Fibromyalgia, a chronic ailment affecting 2% to 6% of the world's population, is characterized by widespread, persistent pain often accompanied by fatigue, sleep issues, cognitive challenges, and emotional difficulties. The precise mechanisms behind the condition's onset and persistence remain unclear, particularly in women, who are disproportionately affected.
A research team from the INc-UAB and IR Sant Pau in Spain sought to explore the potential impact of oxidative stress and inflammation on fibromyalgia symptoms. They subjected male and female mice to conditions resembling the disease and treated them with dimethyl fumarate or cobalt protoporphyrin IX, two compounds known for bolstering the body's defenses against oxidative stress via distinct mechanisms.
Both treatments effectively diminished pain hypersensitivity and alleviated behaviors linked to depression. However, dimethyl fumarate demonstrated a more rapid and pronounced response. The researchers also examined molecular-level changes in the animals' brains and spinal cords, revealing that the treatments impacted various oxidative balance, inflammation, and neuronal plasticity mechanisms.
These effects differed across regions of the nervous system and between the two treatments, suggesting that fibromyalgia-related pain is not a result of uniform oxidative balance disruption but rather specific alterations in brain or spinal cord regions.
The study, published in Antioxidants, highlights the potential of boosting the body's natural defenses against oxidative stress as a promising approach to managing both pain and emotional disturbances in fibromyalgia patients. Notably, dimethyl fumarate, one of the compounds studied, is already approved for use in clinical practice for multiple sclerosis, offering a translational opportunity for future research.
While these findings were derived from an animal model and cannot be directly applied to human cases, they may pave the way for investigating cellular antioxidant protection as potential targets for developing novel treatments for chronic pain and associated emotional symptoms in fibromyalgia.
Written by urgent.news from Medical Xpress's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
