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Updated: May 1, 2026
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Dural Stimulation and Periorbital von Frey Testing in Mice As a Preclinical Model of Headache
Published on: July 29, 2021
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Dural fibroblasts play a potential role in headache pathophysiology.
Xiaomei Wei1, Ohannes K Melemedjian, David Dong-Uk Ahn
1Department of Pharmacology, University of Arizona School of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA.
Pain
|March 25, 2014
Summary
Meningeal fibroblasts, when stimulated, release factors that activate headache pathways. This suggests fibroblasts may play a role in headache development.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pain Research
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Nociceptive signaling from meninges contributes to headache.
- The specific meningeal events triggering afferent activity remain unclear.
- Meningeal fibroblasts were not previously considered headache contributors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if dural fibroblasts release factors activating/sensitizing dural afferents.
- To determine if fibroblast-released factors induce headache-like behaviors in rats.
Main Methods:
- Cultured rat dural fibroblasts were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).
- Conditioned media was applied to dural trigeminal ganglion neurons in vitro for electrophysiology.
- A preclinical model assessed allodynia after dura application of conditioned media.
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were measured via ELISA.
Main Results:
- LPS-stimulated fibroblast media significantly increased action potential firing in dural afferents.
- Application of this media to the dura induced facial and hind-paw allodynia.
- LPS stimulation elevated IL-6 levels in fibroblast-conditioned media.
Conclusions:
- Fibroblasts stimulated by LPS release factors that activate and sensitize dural afferents.
- These findings implicate fibroblasts in the pathophysiology of headache.
- Dural fibroblasts may be a novel target for headache therapies.
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