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Plasma Serotonin Levels in Migraine
Plasma Serotonin Levels in Migraine MICHAEL ANTHONY The Divisions of Neurology and Clinical Che&8tTy, Prince Henry Hospitnl, School of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
My colleagues, Drs. H. Hinterberger and J. W. Lance, and I have measured plasma serotonin levels in 33 migraine attacks and briefly, the results are as follows: a sudden and marked fall in plasma 5-HT occurred a t the onset of the attack in 31 of the 33 headaches studied. Mean plasma 5-HT (pg/lOg platelets) was 0.74 in headache-free periods, 0.81 in the 24 hours preceding headache, 0.44 during the migraine attack, and 0.73 in the 24 hours following headache. No comparable drop in 5-HT level was observed after stressful procedures, e.g., pneumoencephalography. Plasma 5-HT fell after the injection of reserpine, precipitating a migraine attack in 10 out of 11 patients. Injection of 5-HT ameliorated spontaneous and reserpine-induced headaches. Platelet ATP was not reduced during migraine and the ability of “migraine platelets” to take up serotonin when incubated with excess of the amine was not impaired. Incubation of “headache-free platelets” with “migraine plasma” from the same patient, produced a drop in platelet 5-HT to a level comparable with that of “migraine platelets.” These facts indicate that an endogenous 5-HT releasing factor is present in plasma during migraine headache, and suggest that the drop in plasma 5-HT plays a part in the mechanism of migraine.
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My colleagues, Drs. H. Hinterberger and J. W. Lance, and I have measured plasma serotonin levels in 33 migraine attacks and briefly, the results are as follows: a sudden and marked fall in plasma 5-HT occurred a t the onset of the attack in 31 of the 33 headaches studied. Mean plasma 5-HT (pg/lOg platelets) was 0.74 in headache-free periods, 0.81 in the 24 hours preceding headache, 0.44 during the migraine attack, and 0.73 in the 24 hours following headache. No comparable drop in 5-HT level was observed after stressful procedures, e.g., pneumoencephalography. Plasma 5-HT fell after the injection of reserpine, precipitating a migraine attack in 10 out of 11 patients. Injection of 5-HT ameliorated spontaneous and reserpine-induced headaches. Platelet ATP was not reduced during migraine and the ability of “migraine platelets” to take up serotonin when incubated with excess of the amine was not impaired. Incubation of “headache-free platelets” with “migraine plasma” from the same patient, produced a drop in platelet 5-HT to a level comparable with that of “migraine platelets.” These facts indicate that an endogenous 5-HT releasing factor is present in plasma during migraine headache, and suggest that the drop in plasma 5-HT plays a part in the mechanism of migraine.
203