Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2010 Apr;7(2):191-6.
doi: 10.1016/j.nurt.2010.02.003.

The PACAP receptor: a novel target for migraine treatment

Henrik W Schytz  1 , Jes Olesen, Messoud Ashina
Affiliations
Review

The PACAP receptor: a novel target for migraine treatment

Henrik W Schytz et al. Neurotherapeutics. 2010 Apr.

Abstract

The origin of migraine pain has not yet been clarified, but accumulating data point to neuropeptides present in the perivascular space of cranial vessels as important mediators of nociceptive input during migraine attacks. Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) is present in sensory trigeminal neurons and may modulate nociception at different levels of the nervous system. Human experimental studies have shown that PACAP-38 infusion induces marked dilatation of extracerebral vessels and delayed migraine-like attacks in migraine patients. PACAP selectively activates the PAC(1) receptor, which suggests a possible signaling pathway implicated in migraine pain. This review summarizes the current evidence supporting the involvement of PACAP in migraine pathophysiology and the PAC(1) receptor as a possible novel target for migraine treatment.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Andlin-Sobocki P, Jönsson B, Wittchen HU, Olesen J. Cost of disorders of the brain in Europe. Eur J Neurol. 2005;12(Suppl 1):1–27. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2005.01202.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Olesen J, Tfelt-Hansen P, Ashina M. Finding New drug targets for the treatment of migraine attacks. Cephalalgia. 2009;29:909–920. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2982.2008.01837.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Olesen J, Burstein R, Ashina M, Tfelt-Hansen P. Origin of pain in migraine: evidence for peripheral sensitisation. Lancet Neurol. 2009;8:679–690. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(09)70090-0. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Uddman R, Tajti J, MÖller S, Sundler F, Edvinsson L. Neuronal messengers and peptide receptors in the human sphenopalatine and otic ganglia. Brain Res. 1999;826:193–199. doi: 10.1016/S0006-8993(99)01260-3. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Edvinsson L, Elsås T, Suzuki N, Shimizu T, Lee TJ. Origin and co-localization of nitric oxide synthase, CGRP, PACAP, and VIP in the cerebral circulation of the rat. Microsc Res Tech. 2001;53:221–228. doi: 10.1002/jemt.1086. - DOI - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances