Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in Experimental Model of Fibromyalgia: Role of Hidrox®
Ramona D’Amico, Marika Cordaro, Rosalba Siracusa, Daniela Impellizzeri, Angela Trovato Salinaro, Maria Scuto, Maria Laura Ontario, Roberto Crea, Salvatore Cuzzocrea, Rosanna Di Paola, Roberta Fusco, Vittorio Calabrese
Abstract
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a chronic condition characterized by persistent widespread pain that negatively affects the quality of life of patients. The WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway seems to be involved in central sensitization and different pain states. The objective of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of a new compound called Hidrox® (HD), containing 40–50% hydroxytyrosol, in counteracting the pain associated with FM. An FM-like model was induced in rats by subcutaneous injections of reserpine (1 mg/kg) for three consecutive days. Later, HD (10 mg/kg) was administered orally to the animals for seven days. Reserpine injections induced WNT/β-catenin pathway activation, release of pro-inflammatory mediators as well as a significant increase in oxidative stress. Daily treatment with HD was able to modulate the WNT/β-catenin and Nrf2 pathways and consequently attenuate the behavioral deficits and microglia activation induced by reserpine injection. These results indicate that nutritional consumption of HD can be considered as a new therapeutic approach for human FM.