Headache induced by a nitric oxide donor (nitroglycerin) responds to sumatriptan. A human model for development of migraine drugs.
Experimental "vascular" headache in humans may be used in characterizing new migraine drugs. The effects of sumatriptan on nitroglycerin-(NTG)-induced headache and arterial responses were therefore studied. Following a double-blind randomized crossover design, 10 healthy volunteers received sumatriptan 6 mg s.c. or placebo succeeded by 20 min NTG (0.12 microgram/kg/min) infusion. Headache was rated on a 10 points scale. Temporal and radial artery diameters and velocity in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) were measured with ultrasound. Sumatriptan reduced the NTG-induced headache, median score 1.5 versus 4 after placebo (p < 0.01) and decreased temporal and radial artery diameters 75 +/- 3 and 86 +/- 3% of baseline respectively (p < 0.05). Blood velocity in the MCA was unaffected. The NTG model may prove to be a valuable tool in the development of future migraine drugs. The results suggest that NTG headache in non-migraineurs may share mechanisms with migraine headache.
Department of Neurology, Glostrup Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
H K
HK
Iversen
J
J
Olesen
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000502:physiology*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000502:physiology; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018170:Sumatriptan / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014665:Vasodilator Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
D014662:Vasoconstrictor Agents; D014665:Vasodilator Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D018170:Sumatriptan; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase; D005996:Nitroglycerin