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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.

To investigate possible factors involved in these symptoms, a research team from the INc-UAB and IR Sant Pau worked with male and female mice in which symptoms similar to fibromyalgia were induced. The animals exhibited increased sensitivity to touch, heat and cold, as well as behaviors associated with a depressive state. The paper is published in the journal Antioxidants.

The team wanted to study the role of oxidative stress and inflammation in these processes and treated the animals with dimethyl fumarate or cobalt protoporphyrin IX, two compounds capable of bolstering the body's defenses against oxidative stress but acting through different mechanisms. According to the results, both treatments reduced pain hypersensitivity and improved behaviors associated with a depressive state. Dimethyl fumarate, however, produced a more pronounced and faster response.

The researchers also analyzed molecular-level changes in the animals' brains and spinal cords. They observed that the treatments modulated various mechanisms related to oxidative balance, inflammation and neuronal plasticity. These effects varied across different areas of the nervous system and between the two treatments. Dimethyl fumarate elicited a broader molecular response, whereas cobalt protoporphyrin IX showed a more specific profile.

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