It has been suggested that magnesium plays a central role in different etiopathogenetic conditions involved in the onset of migraine. We measured, by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, serum and salivary magnesium levels in drug-free migraine patients with and without aura and in tension-type headache patients. Migraine sufferers with and without aura and tension-type headache had significantly lower levels of serum and salivary magnesium concentrations in the interical periods than a group of healthy young individuals. Serum magnesium levels tended to be further reduced during attacks in all patient groups studied. A statistically significant decrease in salivary magnesium levels was evident only for migraine patients with aura. Serum magnesium levels and to a lesser extent salivary magnesium levels might express indirectly the lowering of brain extracellular magnesium concentration which occurs in migraine patients both in the intererictal periods and ictally.

DYS14 assay is the best approach for early fetal gender assessment because it is more sensitive, accurate, and efficient than the SRY assay.

NO-releasing NSAIDs are a new class of non-peptide caspase inhibitors. Inhibition of ICE-like cysteine proteases prevents endothelial cell damage induced by pro-inflammatory agents and might contribute to the gastro-protective effects of NO-NSAIDs.

In the last few years a fundamental role for magnesium in establishing the threshold for migraine attacks and involvement in the pathophysiologic mechanisms related to its onset has become evident. We measured serum and salivary magnesium levels in juvenile migraine patients (with and without aura) and in a group of healthy young individuals by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Migraineurs were studied in migraine-free (interictal) periods and during attacks. In comparison with normal subjects, migraine patients had lower levels of serum and salivary magnesium interictally. Serum magnesium levels tended to be further reduced during attacks. With respect to the values of interictal periods we observed a reduction, not statistically significant, of salivary magnesium levels for both migraine groups. Serum, and to a lesser extent salivary magnesium level reduction, could be an expression, at the peripheral level, of reduced cerebral magnesium levels which would contribute, at least in part, to defining the threshold for migraine attacks.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate whether vaginal administration of probiotic Lactobacillus results in their colonization and persistence in the vagina and whether it promotes normalization and maintenance of pH and Nugent score. A single-arm, open-label controlled towards the baseline (pre-post) study including 35 apparently healthy women was conducted. Each woman was examined three times during the study. Women were instructed to receive daily for 7 days, the probiotic suppositories SYNBIO(®) gin (Lactobacillus rhamnosus IMC 501(®) and Lactobacillus paracasei IMC 502(®)). Vaginal swabs were collected during visit 1, 2, and 3 to determine the total lactobacilli count, the presence of the two administered bacteria, the measure of the pH, and the estimation of Nugent score. Evaluation of treatment tolerability was based on analysis of the type and occurrence of adverse events. The probiotic vaginal suppository was well tolerated and no side effects were reported. Intermediate Nugent score was registered in 40 % of women at visit 1 and these intermediate scores reverted to normal at day 7 (end of treatment) in 20 % of subjects. Administration of SYNBIO(®) gin contributed to a significant increase in the lactobacilli level at visit 2. Molecular typing revealed the presence of the two strains originating from SYNBIO(®) gin in 100 % of women at visit 2 and 34 % at visit 3. No significant changes were registered for pH between visits. The SYNBIO(®) gin product is safe for daily use in healthy women and it could be useful to restore and maintain a normal vaginal microbiota.

Sympathetic dysfunction is often present in migraine. It has been suggested that serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (D beta H) can be taken as an index of peripheral sympathetic activity. We studied the serum D beta H activity in migraine with and without aura and in tension-type headache patients compared with healthy control subjects. The serum D beta H activity was significantly lower in migraine and tension-type headache patients than in the control group. No significant difference was observed among the three groups of patients studied. These findings suggest that patients with migraine and tension-type headache have a sympathetic hypofunction that may play an important role in the pathogenesis.

No abstract