Abstract
BackgroundMethylprednisolone (MPD) is a rapid acting highly effective cluster headache preventive and also suppresses the recurrence of migraine attacks. Previously, we could demonstrate that elevated CGRP plasma levels in a cluster headache bout are normalized after a course of high dose corticosteroids. Here we assess whether MPD suppresses interleukin-1β (IL-1β)- and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-induced CGRP release in a cell culture model of trigeminal ganglia cells, which could account for the preventive effect in migraine and cluster headache. Metoprolol(MTP), a migraine preventive with a slow onset of action, was used for comparison.MethodsPrimary cultures of rat trigeminal ganglia were stimulated for 24 h with 10 ng/ml IL-1β or for 4 h with 10 μM PGE2 following the exposure to 10 or 100 μM MPD or 100 nM or 10 µM MTP for 45 min or 24 h. CGRP was determined by using a commercial enzyme immunoassay.ResultsMPD but not MTP blocked IL-1β-induced CGRP release from cultured trigeminal cells. PGE2-stimulated CGRP release from trigeminal ganglia cell culture was not affected by pre-stimulation whether with MPD or MTP.ConclusionMPD but not MTP suppresses cytokine (IL-1β)-induced CGRP release from trigeminal ganglia cells. We propose that blockade of cytokine mediated trigeminal activation may represent a potential mechanism of action that mediates the preventive effect of MTP on cluster headache and recurrent migraine attacks.
Highlights
Methylprednisolone (MPD) is a rapid acting highly effective cluster headache preventive and suppresses the recurrence of migraine attacks
To determine whether corticosteroids may influence trigeminal activation directly, we studied the effects of corticosteroids on calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release in this trigeminal ganglia cell model using IL-1β and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) for stimulation
In a first step we investigated the effect of MPD on basal and stimulated CGRP release in cultures of rat trigeminal ganglia cells
Summary
Methylprednisolone (MPD) is a rapid acting highly effective cluster headache preventive and suppresses the recurrence of migraine attacks. We could demonstrate that elevated CGRP plasma levels in a cluster headache bout are normalized after a course of high dose corticosteroids. We assess whether MPD suppresses interleukin-1β (IL-1β)- and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-induced CGRP release in a cell culture model of trigeminal ganglia cells, which could account for the preventive effect in migraine and cluster headache. The release of CGRP contributes to vasodilatation, neurogenic inflammation, transmission of pain signals and central sensitization [5] These mechanisms seem to be of significance in migraine pathophysiology and might be involved in cluster headache pathophysiology. We could demonstrate that CGRP plasma levels are elevated interictally in episodic cluster headache patients in the bout and that these levels are reduced after short term prophylaxis with corticosteroids [7]. Our study could not exclude that altered CGRP levels were rather a consequence than the cause of the reduced attack frequency
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