Electroacupuncture Reduces Fibromyalgia Pain by Attenuating the HMGB1, S100B, and TRPV1 Signalling Pathways in the Mouse Brain

Fibromyalgia is characterized by chronic and persistent widespread pain and generalized muscle tenderness, and it is refractory to treatment. The central nervous system (CNS) plays an important role, pain signalling, in fibromyalgia subjects. Electroacupuncture (EA) has been practiced for thousand years to treat many diseases that involve pain. We established fibromyalgia-like pain in mice using intermittent cold stress and investigated therapeutic effects and modes of action with EA. EA of 2 Hz and 1 mA was performed for 20 min at the ST36 acupoint in mice from Day 3 to Day 5. Our results showed that mechanical and thermal hyperalgesia were induced by intermittent cold stress (Day 5: mechanical: 1.43 +/- 0.34 g; thermal: 3.98 +/- 0.73 s) and were subsequently reversed by EA (Day 5: mechanical: 4.62 +/- 0.48 g; thermal: 7.68 +/- 0.68 s) or Trpv1(-/-) (Day 5: mechanical: 4.38 +/- 0.51 g; thermal: 7.48 +/- 0.98 s). Activity in the HMGB1, S100B, and TRPV1 pathways was increased in the mouse prefrontal cortex, somatosensory cortex, thalamus, and amygdala with the stress treatment. This increase was attenuated by EA or Trpv1(-/-). These results suggest potential targets for the treatment of TRPV1-dependant fibromyalgia pain.

Automated summary

Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterized by widespread pain and muscle tenderness that is difficult to treat. In this study, researchers used intermittent cold stress to induce fibromyalgia-like pain in mice and investigated the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture (EA). The results showed that EA reversed mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity in the mice. The study also highlighted the involvement of HMGB1, S100B, and TRPV1 pathways in the pain signaling, suggesting potential targets for treating fibromyalgia pain.