TY - JOUR
T1 - A Role for Brain Cyclooxygenase-2 and Prostaglandin-E2 in Migraine
T2 - Effects of Nitroglycerin
AU - Tassorelli, Cristina
AU - Greco, Rosaria
AU - Armentero, Marie Therèse
AU - Blandini, Fabio
AU - Sandrini, Giorgio
AU - Nappi, Giuseppe
PY - 2007
Y1 - 2007
N2 - Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) may increase prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in central nervous system (CNS) and contribute to the severity of pain responses in inflammatory pain. In this chapter, we sought to evaluate the possible role of COX-2 induction and prostaglandins (PGs) synthesis within neuronal areas proposed to be involved in migraine genesis in the animal model of migraine based on the administration of systemic nitroglycerin (NTG). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with NTG (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle and sacrificed 2 and 4 h later. The hypothalamus and the lower brain stem were dissected out and utilized for the evaluation of COX-2 expression by means of Western blotting and for the determination of PGE2 levels by means of ELISA immunoassay. COX-2 expression increased in the hypothalamus at 2 h and in the lower brain stem at 4 h. PGE2 levels showed an opposite pattern of change with a decrease in PGE2 levels at 2 h in the hypothalamus and an increase at 4 h in the lower brain stem. These data support the hypothesis that NTG administration is capable of activating the COX-2 pathway within cerebral areas. This activity may explain the pronociceptive effect of NTG described in animal and human models of pain. Most importantly, these findings point to mediators and areas that may be relevant for migraine pathogenesis and treatment.
AB - Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) may increase prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in central nervous system (CNS) and contribute to the severity of pain responses in inflammatory pain. In this chapter, we sought to evaluate the possible role of COX-2 induction and prostaglandins (PGs) synthesis within neuronal areas proposed to be involved in migraine genesis in the animal model of migraine based on the administration of systemic nitroglycerin (NTG). Male Sprague-Dawley rats were injected with NTG (10 mg/kg, i.p.) or vehicle and sacrificed 2 and 4 h later. The hypothalamus and the lower brain stem were dissected out and utilized for the evaluation of COX-2 expression by means of Western blotting and for the determination of PGE2 levels by means of ELISA immunoassay. COX-2 expression increased in the hypothalamus at 2 h and in the lower brain stem at 4 h. PGE2 levels showed an opposite pattern of change with a decrease in PGE2 levels at 2 h in the hypothalamus and an increase at 4 h in the lower brain stem. These data support the hypothesis that NTG administration is capable of activating the COX-2 pathway within cerebral areas. This activity may explain the pronociceptive effect of NTG described in animal and human models of pain. Most importantly, these findings point to mediators and areas that may be relevant for migraine pathogenesis and treatment.
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U2 - 10.1016/S0074-7742(07)82020-4
DO - 10.1016/S0074-7742(07)82020-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 17678972
AN - SCOPUS:34547367445
VL - 82
SP - 373
EP - 382
JO - International Review of Neurobiology
JF - International Review of Neurobiology
SN - 0074-7742
ER -