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Sumatriptan blocks spreading depression in isolated chick retina
P A Maranhão-Filho1, H Martins-Ferreira, M B Vincent
1Headache Unit, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Abstract:
Spreading depression is a neurohumoral phenomenon that has been related to the pathophysiology of migraine. The recently introduced 5HT1D agonist anti-migraine compound sumatriptan blocks neurogenic extravasation and induces cerebral vasoconstriction, but the actual mechanism of action against migraine remains obscure. Retinal spreading depression (RSD) velocity has been measured in isolated chick retinas in the presence of 0.05-2.00 mM sumatriptan. This drug reversibly blocks RSD in a concentration-dependent manner. Since the preparation is blood-vessel free, this effect must be related to the nervous tissue.