ABSTRACT
Platelet membrane fluidity was measured in migraine patients, with and without aura, using the fluorescent probe TMA-DPH (1-[4-(trimethylammonium) phenyl]-6-hexa-1,3,5- triene). Polarization values for TMA-DPH were significantly higher in the platelet membranes of migraine patients (with or without aura) than in those of healthy subjects. These findings signify decreased membrane fluidity and may explain some modifications in receptors, carriers or enzymes described in platelets of migraine patients.
Subject(s)
Blood Platelets/metabolism , Membrane Fluidity , Migraine Disorders/blood , Adult , Diphenylhexatriene/analogs & derivatives , Female , Fluorescent Dyes , Humans , Migraine Disorders/complications , Nervous System Diseases/etiology , Reference ValuesABSTRACT
In spite of recent theories about the aetiopathogenesis of migraine, serotonin continues to play a central role, explaining the efficacy of almost all migraine prophylactic drugs. In migraineurs with and without aura we measured (by HPLC-EC) the serum serotonin (5-HT) and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) levels between as well as during headache attacks. Between attacks of migraine with aura and at the beginning of attacks of both types of migraine the serum 5-HT and 5-HIAA concentration was significantly increased. These results were corroborated by 3H-spiperone binding to platelet membranes: in migraineurs with aura in the attack-free interval, there was a significant decrease in its Bmax, which suggests down-regulation of 5-HT2 receptors. In conclusion, we have verified that migraine with aura differs biochemically from migraine without aura.