title: Nostril capsaicin application as a model of trigeminal primary sensory neuronal activation.
abstract: Capsaicin was applied unilaterally to the nostril mucosa of 18 episodic cluster headache sufferers in remission. Plasma and saliva levels of substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were measured by radioimmunoassay. Increase of salivary SP-LI and CGRP-LI as well as of plasma CGRP-LI occurred after capsaicin stimulation. Capsaicin-induced neurochemical changes in saliva and in plasma were compared to the changes observed during cluster headache attacks measured in a separate study. The comparative changes in SP, CGRP and VIP characterizing these two conditions suggest that trigeminal capsaicin-sensitive sensory neurones are unlikely to play any fundamental role in the mechanics of cluster headache.
authors.affiliation: Interuniversity Centre of Clinical Pharmacology and Neurochemistry of Idiopathic Headache-Florence University Unit, Italy.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nicolodi
mesh_terms: D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000328:Adult; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003027:Cluster Headache / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000187:drug effects*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002211:Capsaicin