St. John's wort reversal of meningeal nociception: A natural therapeutic perspective for migraine pain

Abstract

Despite a number of antimigraine drugs belonging to different pharmacological classes are available, there is a huge unmet need for better migraine pharmacotherapy. We here demonstrated the capability of Hypericum perforatum, popularly called St. John's wort (SJW), to relieve meningeal nociception in an animal model induced by administration of the nitric oxide (NO) donors glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) and sodium nitroprusside (SNP). GTN and SNP produced a delayed meningeal inflammation, as showed by the upregulation of interleukin (IL)-1β and inducible NO synthase (iNOS), and a prolonged cold allodynia and heat hyperalgesia with a time-course consistent with NO-induced migraine attacks. A single oral administration of a SJW dried extract (5mg/kg p.o.) counteracted the nociceptive behaviour and the overexpression of IL-1β and iNOS. To clarify the cellular pathways involved, the expression of protein kinase C (PKC) and downstream effectors was detected. NO donors increased expression and phosphorylation of PKCγ, PKCɛ and transcription factors, such as nuclear factor (NF)-κB, cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB), Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT)-1. All these molecular events were prevented by SJW and hypericin, a SJW main component. In conclusion, SJW counteracted the NO donor-induced pain hypersensitivity and meningeal activation by blocking PKC-mediated pathways involving NF-κB, CREB, STAT1. These results might suggest SJW as an innovative and safe perspective for migraine pain.