Neurol Neurochir Pol
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Neurol Neurochir Pol · Sep 2003
Comparative Study[Suppressing effect of the serotonin 5HT1B/D receptor agonist rizatriptan on calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) concentration in migraine attacks].
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is one of the neuropeptides most abundant in the nervous tissue. Recent studies indicate that local cranial release of CGRP from the trigeminal nerve perivascular endings within arachnoidea plays an important role in the pathophysiology of migraine attacks and cluster headaches. Elevated CGRP levels in cranial venous blood (in the jugular vein) during an acute spontaneous migraine attack have been reported in rather few studies so far. ⋯ The decrease in CGRP levels was associated with subsidence of the migraine attack. There was no difference between migraine patients with and without aura. These results suggest that triptans as serotonin 5HT1B/D receptor agonists decrease CGRP plasma concentration in migraine attacks.