The role of nitric oxide in the regulation of the electrical activity of the trigeminal nerve in the rat

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) is a gaseous signaling molecule that regulates a number of physiological functions, including its role in the formation of migraine has been established. NO is endogenously produced in the body from L-arginine by NO synthase. The NO donor, nitroglycerin, is a trigger of migraine in humans and is widely used in the modeling of this disease in animals, which suggests the involvement of components of the NO signaling cascade in the pathogenesis of migraine. Based on the results obtained, it was found that an increase in the concentration of both the substrate for the synthesis of NO, L-arginine, and the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside, has a pro-nociceptive effect in the afferents of the trigeminal nerve. In this case, the effect of sodium nitroprusside is associated with the activation of intracellular soluble guanylate cyclase. Key words: nitric oxide, migraine, trigeminal nerve, L-arginine, guanylate cyclase, sodium nitroprusside, nociception.