The Role of Nitric Oxide in Migraine Pain: Therapeutic Implications

In recent years, an increasing volume of evidence has suggested that the small messenger molecule nitric oxide (NO) plays a pivotal role in migraine pain. This evidence is mainly based on experimental studies using 2 different human headache models — intravenous infusion of nitroglycerin (glyceryl trinitrate) [a donor of NO] and intravenous infusion of histamine (which probably activates endothelial NO formation). These models offer unique possibilities for the study of NO mechanisms in migraine. Data suggest that NO is involved in the aetiology of migraine, a finding that may open up a number of possibilities for future drug treatments of the disorder.