Subarachnoid blood and headache: altered trigeminal tachykinin gene expression

Sensory axons from the trigeminal ganglion (V) innervate cephalic blood vessels and use the preprotachykinin gene products, substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA), as putative neurotransmitters conveying nociceptive information. Blood in the subarachnoid space is accompanied by severe headache. We now report that this painful stimulus, which should enhance activity in V, specifically alters tachykinin peptide and mRNA levels in V and perivascular axons. Marked reductions in SP levels were observed in basilar artery segments within 4 hours after intracisternal blood injection which persisted for 48 hours and recovered by 7 days. SP peptide levels in V were elevated by 49% two days after blood injection. The changes in SP peptide levels were accompanied by increases in ganglionic content of the preprotachykinin mRNA that codes for the peptide. Blood-induced peptide depletion in arteries and subsequent increases in peptide and mRNA in V are consistent with increased neuronal activity and enhanced neuropeptide release. These results implicate the tachykinin-utilizing trigeminovascular neurons in the sequelae of subarachnoid hemorrhage.