Abstract
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.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache |
| Volume | 16 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| Pages (from-to) | 412-8 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| ISSN | 0333-1024 |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 1996 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Blood Flow Velocity
- Brain
- Cross-Over Studies
- Double-Blind Method
- Female
- Headache
- Humans
- Male
- Nitric Oxide
- Nitric Oxide Synthase
- Nitroglycerin
- Sumatriptan
- Vascular Resistance
- Vasoconstrictor Agents
- Vasodilator Agents