Effects of Toutongning capsule on enkephalin expression in a rat migraine headache model

• Published in: 中国神经再生研究（英文版） Vol. 6; no. 9; pp. 661 - 665
• Main Author: Gang Yao Yuhong Man Jingjing Qi Tingmin Yu Dihui Ma
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Department of Neurology, Second Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun 130041, Jilin Province, China 25.03.2011; Department of Neurology, First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China%Department of Neurology, Second Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun 130041, Jilin Province, China%Department of Neurology, First Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, Jilin Province, China
• Subjects: 亮氨酸脑啡肽; 偏头痛; 内源性阿片肽; 大鼠脑; 模型组; 硝酸甘油; 胶囊; 蛋白水平; methionine-enkephalin; leucine-enkephalin; proenkephalin; neural regeneration; Toutongning capsule; migraine headache
• ISSN: 1673-5374
• DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1673-5374.2011.09.004

Toutongning capsule is used for the treatment of migraine headaches, and has yielded therapeutically beneficial effects. However, whether Toutongning capsule exerts its effects via endogenous opioid peptides remains poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of Toutongning capsule on enkephalin expression in the midbrain of rats with nitroglycerin-induced migraine headache at the mRNA and protein levels. Results confirmed that proenkephalin mRNA levels were significantly upregulated following treatment with Toutongning capsule. The numbers methionine-enkephalin and leucine-enkephalin-positive cells were significantly greater in the migraine headache rats following treatment with Toutongning capsule compared with the model group. Taken together, these results show that Toutongning capsule exerts potentially beneficial effects by promoting enkephalin expression in nitroglycerin-induced migraine headache rats.