Helicobacter pylori infection and migraine

Enhanced endothelium nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide anion release may cause migraine through related cerebral blood flow changes. Thirty subjects suffering from migraine with and without aura and 20 healthy controls were investigated. Urine samples collected for 24 h during and after the migraine attack, and during the headache-free period, were assayed for urinary NO stable metabolites (NO x ) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). During the headache-free period urinary NO x and TBARS levels were higher in migraine sufferers than in controls (NO x 0.77 ± 0.14 vs. 0.28 ± 0.15 mmol/mmol creatinine, P < 0.05; TBARS 0.40 ± 0.19 vs. 0.26 ± 0.13 m mol/mol creatinine, P < 0.05). Also, NO x excretion was higher during the headache-free period than during or after the migraine attack ( P < 0.05). Urinary TBARS were increased during the attack with respect to the headachefree period ( P < 0.05). No differences were observed in the same parameters between sufferers of migraine with and without aura. Urinary NO x and TBARS might be promising as markers of their systemic levels to evaluate the increased vulnerability to oxidative stress in migraine sufferers. Migraine, nitric oxide, superoxide radicals, lipid peroxidation byproducts