title: Effect and mechanism of senkyunolide I as an anti-migraine compound from Ligusticum chuanxiong.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the analgesic and anti-migraine activities of senkyunolide I from Ligusticum chuanxiong.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mice were orally administered various doses of senkyunolide I, and their pain levels were assessed in a hot-plate test and by application of acetic acid. The levels of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), norepinephrine (NE) and dopamine (DA) in plasma and brain were assessed, and the monoamine turnover rates (5-HT/5-HTP, 5-HIAA/5-HT and NE/DA) were also calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mice given senkyunolide I at 16 and 32 mg/kg had significantly elevated pain thresholds in the hot-plate test, and a dose of 32 mg/kg also reduced the number of abdominal writhing responses caused by acetic acid. Significant improvements were observed in the neurotransmitter levels of the drug-treated rats compared with the saline-administered controls. Compared to the rats with nitroglycerin-induced migraines, the levels of nitric oxide in the plasma and whole brain of rats given senkyunolide I were lower.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study suggests that senkyunolide I may be an active component of L. chuanxiong, traditionally used to treat migraine. The mechanism of pain relief in migraine model rats may be through adjusting the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters and their turnover rates, as well as decreasing nitric oxide levels in the blood and brain. Therefore, senkyunolide I may be developed as a potential treatment for migraine pain.
authors.affiliation: Engineering Research Center of Modern Preparation Technology of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ministry of Education, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1200 Cailun Road, Shanghai, China.
authors.forename: Yi-Han
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: De-Sheng
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chun-Yong
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Yan-Long
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D000085:Acetates; D000700:Analgesics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D030004:Ligusticum; D051379:Mice; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005996:Nitroglycerin / Q000494:pharmacology; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012701:Serotonin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D000700:Analgesics; D001572:Benzofurans; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D012701:Serotonin; D006897:Hydroxyindoleacetic Acid; C045855:3-N-butyl-4,5-dihydrophthalide; D006916:5-Hydroxytryptophan; D005996:Nitroglycerin; C101574:chuangxiong extract; D004298:Dopamine; D009638:Norepinephrine