Pharmacological characterization of a novel gastrodin derivative as a potential anti-migraine agent

Migraine is a highly prevalent neurovascular disorder in the brain. An optimal therapy for migraine has not yet been developed. Gastrodin (Gas), the main effective constitute from Gastrodiae Rhizoma (Tianma in Chinese), has been indicated for migraine treatment and prophylaxis more than 30 years, with demonstrated safety. However, Gas is a phenolic glycoside, with relatively low concentrations and weak efficacy in the central nervous system. To develop more effective anti-migraine agents, we synthesized a novel Gas derivative (Gas-D). In the present study, comparative pharmacodynamic evaluations of Gas and Gas-D were performed in a model of nitroglycerin (NTG)-induced migraine in rats and the hot-plate test in mice. Following behavioral testing in this migraine model, external jugular vein blood and the trigeminal nucleus caudalis (TNC) were collected to analyze plasma nitric oxide (NO) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) concentrations and c-Fos expression in the TNC. The acute oral toxicity of Gas and Gas-D was also examined. We found that Gas-D had potent anti-migraine effects, likely attributable to inhibition of both trigeminal nerve activation at central sites and the peripheral release of CGRP following NO scavenging. Additionally, Gas-D exerted significant anti-nociceptive effect in response to thermal pain compared with Gas. Furthermore, a single dose of 2.048 g/kg Gas or Gas-D presented no acute oral toxicity in mice. Altogether, the potent anti-migraine and anti-hyperalgesic effects of Gas-D suggest that it might be a potentially novel drug candidate for migraine treatment or prophylaxis.