Platelet Glutamate Uptake and Release in Migraine With and Without Aura

Abstract

Glutamate may play an important role in the pathogenesis of migraine: glutamate release in the brain may be involved in the development of spreading depression and increased concentrations of this amino acid have been reported in plasma and platelets from migraine patients. Here we assessed platelet glutamate uptake and release in 25 patients affected by migraine with aura (MA) and 25 patients affected by migraine without aura (MoA), comparing the results with a group of 20 healthy matched controls. Both glutamate release from stimulated platelets and plasma concentrations of the amino acid were assessed by high-performance liquid chromatography, and were increased in both types of migraine, although more markedly in MA. Platelet glutamate uptake, assessed as 3H-glutamate intake, was increased in MA, while it was reduced in MoA with respect to the control group. These results support the view that MA might involve different pathophysiological mechanisms from MoA and, specifically, up-regulation of the glutamatergic metabolism. Understanding these dysfunctional pathways could lead to new, possibly more successful therapeutic approaches to the management of migraine.

Migraine biomarkers in cerebrospinal fluid: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…In blood from interictal episodic migraine patients the pooled difference was not statistically significant (SMD: 1.08, 95% CI: -0.07, 2.22) (56)(57)(58)(59)(60)(61)(62). After exclusion of paediatric migraine patients (58), glutamate concentrations were increased in the (24).…”

Exciting Times beyond the Brain: Metabotropic Glutamate Receptors in Peripheral and Non-Neural Tissues

“…Elevated plasma concentrations of L-glutamate are also observed in patients infected with HIV (Ferrarese et al, 2001). In conditions such as migraine, in addition to high levels of glutamate in the plasma, there is an increased glutamate uptake in platelets that is believed to be a compensatory response (Vaccaro et al, 2007). Increased L-glutamate uptake by other tissues would also be possible under such conditions (see Fig.…”

“…L-Glutamate is a naturally occurring amino acid in the mammalian body. Although L-glutamate comprises 4 to 15% of all amino acids in natural proteins, plasma glutamate concentrations are rather low, ranging between 20 and 50 M in healthy persons (Graham et al, 2000;Vaccaro et al, 2007). In contrast, the levels of L-glutamate in whole brain can locally reach 10 4 M, although the concentrations in the extracellular fluid are very low, normally reaching less than 2 M. In the CNS, L-glutamate must be locally synthesized, because it does not cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) (Hawkins, 2009).…”

Promising role of Carob (Ceratonia siliqua L) phytochemical components against neurotoxicity induced by monosodium glutamate

“…It is synthesized by neurons and not cross the blood-brain barrier [54]. It is responsible for maintaining developmental plasticity and memory [55].…”