RESEARCH - Effect of circulating adenosine on cerebral hemodynamics and headache generation in health subjects

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Cephalalgia. 2005 May;25(5):369-77.

The effect of circulating adenosine on cerebral haemodynamics and headache

generation in healthy subjects.

Birk S, sen KA, Kruuse C, Guieu R, Jonassen O, Eisert W, Olesen J.

Danish Headache Center, University of Copenhagen and Department of

Neurology, Glostrup University Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark.

birk@...

Adenosine is an endogenous neurotransmitter that is released from the brain

during hypoxia and relaxes isolated human cerebral arteries. Many cerebral

artery dilators cause migraine attacks. However, the effect of intravenous

adenosine on headache and cerebral artery diameter has not previously been

investigated in man and reports regarding the effect of intravenous

adenosine on cerebral blood flow are conflicting. Twelve healthy

participants received adenosine 80, 120 microg kg(-1) min(-1) and placebo

intravenously for 20 min, in a double-blind, three-way, crossover,

randomized design. Headache was rated on a verbal scale (0-10). Regional

cerebral blood flow (rCBF) with 133Xe inhalation and single-photon emission

computed tomography (SPECT) and MCA flow velocity (V(MCA)) with transcranial

Doppler, were measured in direct sequence. Six participants developed

headache during 80 microg kg(-1) min(-1) and six during 120 microg kg(-1)

min(-1) compared with none on placebo (P = 0.006). The headache was very

mild and predominantly described as a pressing sensation. When correcting

data for adenosine-induced hyperventilation, no significant changes in rCBF

(P = 0.22) or V(MCA) (P = 0.16) were found between treatments. A significant

dilation of the superficial temporal artery (STA) was seen (P < 0.001).

These results show that circulating adenosine has no effect on rCBF or

V(MCA), while it dilates the STA and causes very mild headache.

PMID: 15839852

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve & db=pubmed & dopt=Abstra\

ct & list_uids=15839852

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