• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.211-219
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• 2005

Trigeminovascular system plays an important role for the cerebral memodynamics. The aim of this study was to investigate the alterations in cerebrovascular reactivity by trigeminovascular system injury in rats. Trigeminovascular system of male Sprague-Dawley rats was injured by either denervation of nasocilliary nerve or neonatal capsaicin treatment. Trigeminovascular system was stimulated by controlled hemorrhagic hypotension or somatosensory (whisker) stimulation. Changes in regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and pial arterial diameter were continuously measured by laser-Doppler flowmetry and videomicroscopy, respectively. Nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity in cerebral cortex was determined by measuring the conversion of $L-^3H-arginine\;to\;L-^3H-citrulline$. Cyclic GMP levels in cerebral cortex and pial artery were determined using the cyclic GMP $^{125}I$ scintillation proximity assay system. rCBF autoregulation was impaired or almost abolished by trigeminovascular system injury. rCBF response to whisker stimulation was significantly attenuated by trigeminovascular system injury. NOS activity as well as cyclic GMP level in cerebral cortex and pial artery were significantly reduced in the group of trigeminovascular system injury. These results suggest that trigeminovascular system injury causes prominent alterations in cerebrovascular reactivity, and that NO, which is generated by neuronal NOS in the trigeminovascular system, is implicated in the regulation of rCBF.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.365-373
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• 2005

The aim of this study was to investigate the alterations in meningeal blood flow by stimulation of trigeminovascular system. An open cranial window was prepared on the right parietal bone of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Trigeminovascular system was stimulated by electrical stimulation of trigeminal ganglion (ETS), somatosensory (whisker) stimulation, or topical applications of capsaicin and neuropeptides including substance P and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). Neonatal capsaicin pretreatment was performed with subcutaneous administration of capsaicin (50 mg/kg) within the first 24 hours after birth. Changes in regional blood flow of dural artery (rDBF) and pial artery (rPBF) were continuously measured through the cranial window by laser-Doppler flowmetry. Both ETS and capsaicin caused a chain of alterations in rPBF and rDBF responses, i.e., an immediate transient decrease followed by rapid and marked increase in rPBF, which were significantly attenuated not only by pretreatments with L-733,060, a $NK_1$ receptor blocker, $CGRP_{8-37}$, a $CGRP_1$ receptor blocker, and 7-nitroindazole monosodium salt (7-NINA), a neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor but also by neonatal capsaicin treatment. Exogenous neuropeptides including substance P and CGRP increased the meningeal blood flow, which was significantly attenuated not only by pretreatment with L-733,060 and $CGRP_{8-37}$, respectively, but also by pretreatment with 7-NINA. The rPBF response to whisker stimulation was significantly attenuated not only by trigeminovascular system injuries including nasociliary nerve denervation and neonatal capsaicin treatment but also by pretreatments with L-733,060, $CGRP_{8-37}$ and 7-NINA. These results suggest that the stimulation of trigeminovascular system causes prominent alterations in meningeal blood flow, and that neuropeptides as well as nitric oxide in the trigeminovascular system are importantly implicated in the regulation of meningeal blood flow.

• Biomedical Science Letters
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.375-382
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• 2005

This study aimed to investigate whether nociceptin is implicated in the, trigeminovascular responses to electrical stimulation of trigeminal ganglion in rats. An open cranial window was prepared on the right parietal bone of male Sprague-Dawley rats. Trigeminovascular system was stimulated by electrical stimulation of trigeminal ganglion (ETS; 5ms, 5Hz, 3V). Neonatal capsaicin treatment was performed with subcutaneous administration of capsaicin (50mg/kg) within the first 24 hours after birth. Changes in regional cerebral blood flow were continuously measured through the cranial window by laser-Doppler flowmetry, and the expression of nociceptin-like immunoreactivity was determined by immunohistochemistry. ETS caused increases in regional blood flow of pial arteriole in a voltage-dependent manner. ETS markedly and voltage-dependently increased the expression of nociceptin-like immunoreactivity in dura mater ipsilateral rather than contralateral to ETS. The nociceptin-like immunoreactivity was markedly reduced by pretreatments with calcitonin gene-related peptide(8-37) ($CGRP_{8-37},\;a\;CGRP_1$ receptor antagonist), L-733060 (a $NK_1$ receptor antagonist), and $[Nphe^1]$ nociceptin(1-13)$NH_2$ (a selective and competitive nociceptin receptor antagonist) as well as by neonatal capsaicin treatment. These results suggest that the electrical stimulation of trigeminal ganglion causes prominent expression of nociceptin within dura mater, in which not only neuropeptides inducing substance P and CGRP but also nociceptin are implicated in the trigeminovascular responses to electrical trigeminal ganglion stimulation.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.143-148
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• 2000

Background: Trigeminovascular system is implicated in the pathophysiology of the headache in migraine. This study was designed to evaluate the pattern of Fos protein expression in trigeminal nociceptive central pathway after meningeal stimulation of rats by capsaicin. Methods: The expression of Fos protein was examined by immunohistochemistry in thalamus, brainstem and upper cervical cord (at three levels corresponding to obex, 0.8 mm and 2 mm below obex) 2 hours after intracisternal injection of either diluted capsaicin solution (0.1 ml, $61{\mu}g/ml$) or normal saline (0.1 ml) through a catheter placed in the cisterna magna, or following epidural instillation of diluted capsaicin solution in urethane-anesthetized Sprague-Dawley rats. Results: Fos immunoreactivity was strongly expressed within lamina I, II of bilateral trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC) after cisternal capsaicin injection and magnitude of expression was greatest at level 2.0 mm below obex. Epidural capsaicin caused much less labelling than cisternal capsaicin. Fos positive cells were also observed in area postrema, nucleus of the solitary tract, medullary reticular nucleus and midline nuclear groups of the thalamus with similar intensity between capsaicin and control group. Conclusions: These results indicate that the injection of capsaicin into the cisterna magna is an effective stimulus for the induction of Fos protein within TNC through activation of trigeminovascular afferents and this animal model can be useful for the evaluation of the pathophysiology and drug development in migraine and related headache.