Article ID: 12243
Objective: Fibromyalgia (FM) is symptomized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, with very few reports studying the histological changes in muscles during disease progression. Our study aims to investigate any histopathological alterations in skeletal muscles using a rat model of FM.
Methods: An FM model was developed using a subcutaneous injection of reserpine, a biogenic amine depleting agent, into the back skin of male Sprague-Dawley rats (7–8 weeks old). Two days post-injection, we observed for any inflammatory changes, such as necrotic fibers and centrally nucleated fibers, and further measured the cross-sectional area of myofibers.
Results: While no visible changes associated with inflammation were observed, a significant decrease in myofiber cross-sectional area was noted.
Conclusions: Our study provides evidence of histological changes in the muscle, using a rat reserpine-induced FM model. These findings are valuable in understanding the pathophysiology and to further optimize physical therapy approaches for FM.
