Dietary supplementation evening primrose oil improve symptoms of fibromyalgia syndrome

• We have developed an experimental model of fibromyalgia syndrome in mice.
• Supplementation diet with evening primrose oil (EPO) improved the symptoms.
• Proinflammatory mediators also were lowered in EPO fed mice.
• EPO can be a good strategy in preventing and treatment of fibromyalgia.

Evening primrose oil (EPO) is widely used as a dietary supplement from which beneficial effects have been reported in rheumatic and arthritic conditions, atopic dermatitis, premenstrual and menopausal syndrome, and atopic dermatitis. This study was designed to examine the effect of diets supplemented with EPO on generalized chronic pain, including fibromyalgia syndrome, induced by intermittent cold stress (ICS) in mice. After completing the in vivo test, we proceeded to isolation and culture of peritoneal macrophages in order to determine the effects on the inflammatory status. The results indicate that dietary-EPO is suitable to improve mechanical and thermal allodynia and hyperalgesia and it is also being able to improve behavioural disturbances, anxiety and depression. Besides, EPO reduced significantly the proinflammatory mediators as ON, PGE2, TXB2 and IL-1β in LPS-macrophages stimulated from EPO fed animals. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that dietary-EPO can modify the nociceptive response and other symptoms associated with fibromyalgia syndrome, as well as to reduce the release of the inflammatory state.