title: Behavioral effects and mechanisms of migraine pathogenesis following estradiol exposure in a multibehavioral model of migraine in rat.
abstract: Migraine is one of the most common neurological disorders, leading to more than 1% of total disability reported and over 68 million visits to emergency rooms or physician's offices each year in the United States. Three times as many women as men have migraine, and while the mechanism behind this is not well understood, 17β-estradiol (estradiol) has been implicated to play a role. Studies have demonstrated that exposure to estrogen can lead to activation of inflammatory pathways, changes in sodium gated channel activity, as well as enhanced vasodilation and allodynia. Estradiol receptors are found in trigeminal nociceptors, which are involved in signaling during a migraine attack. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of estradiol in migraine pathogenesis utilizing a multibehavioral model of migraine in rat. Animals were surgically implanted with a cannula system to induce migraine and behavior was assessed following exposure to a proestrus level of estradiol for total locomotor activity, light and noise sensitivity, evoked grooming patterns, and enhanced acoustic startle response. Results demonstrated decreased locomotor activity, increased light and noise sensitivity, altered facial grooming indicative of allodynia and enhanced acoustic startle. Further examination of tissue samples revealed increased expression of genes associated with inflammation and vasodilation. Overall, this study demonstrates exacerbation of migraine-like behaviors following exposure to estradiol and helps further explain the underlying mechanisms behind sex differences found in this common neurological disorder.
authors.affiliation: Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. Electronic address: lvermeer@kumc.edu.
authors.forename: Lydia M M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Vermeer
authors.affiliation: Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. Electronic address: egregory@kumc.edu.
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.affiliation: Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. Electronic address: mwinter@kumc.edu.
authors.forename: Michelle K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Therapeutics, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA; Institute for Neurological Disorders, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA; Kansas Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. Electronic address: kmccarso@kumc.edu.
authors.forename: Kenneth E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: McCarson
authors.affiliation: Anatomy and Cell Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA; Institute for Neurological Disorders, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. Electronic address: nberman@kumc.edu.
authors.forename: Nancy E J
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Berman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006930:Hyperalgesia / Q000503:physiopathology; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects*; D010052:Ovariectomy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D004958:Estradiol
keywords: Estrogen; Inflammation; Migraine mechanisms; Vasodilation