CamKIIα and VPAC1 Expressions in the Caudal Trigeminal Nucleus of Rats After Systemic Nitroglycerin Treatment: Interaction with Anandamide

Migraines are a frequently occurring neurological condition that affects up to 16% of the global population. The precise pathomechanism of the disease remains unknown, but from animal and human observations, it appears that calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha (CamKIIα), pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) are involved in its pathogenesis. One of the animal models of migraines uses the systemic administration of nitroglycerin (NTG), which, as a nitric oxide (NO) donor, initiates a self-amplifying process in the trigeminal system, leading to central sensitization. Endocannabinoids, such as anandamide (AEA), are thought to play a modulatory role in trigeminal activation and sensitization phenomena. In the present experiment, we aimed to investigate the effect of NTG and AEA on CamKIIα, PACAP/VIP, and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide type 1 receptor (VPAC1) expression levels in the upper cervical spinal cord (C1-C2) of rats, where trigeminal nociceptive afferents are clustered. Four groups of animals were formed: in the first group, the rats received only the vehicle; in the second group, they were treated with an intraperitoneal injection of NTG (10 mg/kg); animals in the third and fourth groups received AEA (2 × 5 mg/kg) half an hour before and one hour after the placebo or treatment with NTG. Four hours after the placebo/NTG injection, the animals were transcardially perfused, and the cervical spinal cords were removed for Western blot. Our results show that both NTG and AEA alone can increase the expression of CamKIIα and VPAC1 in the C1-C2 segments. Interestingly, the combination of NTG and AEA had no such effect on these markers, possibly due to various negative feedback mechanisms.