Increased Nitrosative and Oxidative Stress in Platelets of Migraine Patients

Abstract

The molecular mechanisms of migraine have not been fully clarified yet. Increased nitrosative and oxidative stress may be associated with migraine attacks. Platelets may play an important role in migraine patients and they can reflect the lability of tissues to nitrosative/oxidative stress. In the present study, we aimed to determine the levels of nitrosative and oxidative stress markers in platelets of migraine patients during headache-free and attack periods. A total of 56 subjects (22 migraine without aura, 14 migraine with aura, and 20 age-and sex-matched healthy controls) were included in the study and nitric oxide (NO) metabolites, malondialdehyde (MDA), and thiol (SH) groups were measured in platelets. During migraine attacks, platelet levels of nitrate, nitrite and MDA were significantly higher in migraineurs than these in control subjects ( p = 0.042, p = 0.005 and p = 0.042, respectively). By contrast, during headache-free period, no statistically significant differences were found in the platelet levels of nitrate, nitrite and MDA between migraineurs and controls ( p > 0.05), although the marginal increases were detected in migraineurs. These results suggest that increased biomarkers of nitrosative and oxidative stress in platelets may be important in migraine patients, especially during attacks; increase of NO metabolites in platelets during attacks supports the opinion that NO may play a modulatory role in biological processes particularly by vasodilatation in migraine attacks. Therefore, MDA and NO metabolites may serve as useful markers to show the increased vulnerability to nitrosative and oxidative stress in migraine patients. headache; migraine; nitric oxide; oxidative stress; nitrosative stress

Increased asymmetric dimethylarginine and nitric oxide levels in patients with migraine

“…It is rapidly oxidized by tissue oxygen to the stable end products, nitrate and nitrite. Thereby, to best index of overall NO production in the circulation, is the total concentrations of both nitrate and nitrite [5,6]. NO is one of the substances that takes a part in the pathophysiology of migraine.…”

“…Enhanced endothelial NO and superoxide anion release may cause migraine through cerebral blood flow changes. In some studies, oxidative stress due to increased NO has been found especially during attacks in patients with migraine [4,5]. It is emphasized that neurogenic inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress have a role in migraine pathogenesis [1][2][3][4][5].…”

“…Nitric oxide is one of the indicators of oxidative stress [5]. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is nitric oxide synthase inhibitor and ADMA has close association with endothelial dysfunction and oxidative stress [6].…”

Serum L-arginine and dimethylarginine levels in migraine patients with brain white matter lesions

“…Despite the growing evidence of oxidative stress and vascular endothelial activation in migraine (23)(24)(25)(26)(27), the abovementioned biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction have not been comprehensively analyzed in relation to WMLs. Therefore, our objective in the present study was to quantify the L-arginine, ADMA and SDMA serum concentrations of migraine patients F o r P e e r R e v i e w 4 with or without cerebral WMLs in a headache-free period, to detect group differences between lesional and non-lesional migraineurs, to investigate the effect of migraine characteristics, and to determine the differences between migraine patients and controls.…”

Antioxidant Enzyme Gene Polymorphisms in Japanese Migraine Patients with Medication Overuse Headache

“…The activity of SOD, a radical-scavenging enzyme, is lower in migraine patients than in healthy controls; this suggests enhanced vulnerability to oxidative stress during migraine [4] . Interestingly, nitric oxide (NO) metabolites and lipid peroxidation are increased during a migraine attack in platelets, in contrast to headache-free periods [5] . Moreover, in chronic migraine patients, NO serum levels and SOD activity are decreased and serum peroxide levels are increased, in contrast to healthy controls [6] .…”