Behavioral effects and mechanisms of migraine pathogenesis following estradiol exposure in a multibehavioral model of migraine in rat.

Behavioral effects and mechanisms of migraine pathogenesis following estradiol exposure in a multibehavioral model of migraine in rat. Exp Neurol. 2014 Sep 25; Authors: Vermeer LM, Gregory E, Winter MK, McCarson KE, Berman NE 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 proestrous 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 g...
Source: Experimental Neurology - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Exp Neurol Source Type: research