Does fructose have a protective role on migraine?—experimental evidence in a rat model of metabolic syndrome under omega-3 supplementation

Abstract

Background: Migraine is a highly disabling disease, for which current therapies are limited to symptom alleviation. There is compelling evidence linking migraine with metabolic disorders, but the causal relationship is not clear. Omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties, with clear benefits in metabolic disorders, but its effects on migraine remains to be tested. We hypothesized that fructose-induced metabolic syndrome could aggravate migraine by increasing neuroinflammation and that n-3 treatment could mitigate it.Methods: Male Wistar rats were used. Animals that received 10% high fructose diet (HFD) or tap water were subdivided into two additional groups: with or without n-3 supplementation. Fifteen days before euthanasia, each group was subdivided into two additional groups: with or without nitroglycerin (NTG)induced migraine.Results: HFD lessened the migraine-like painful symptoms, as indicated by decreased grimace scores, which paralleled with reduced CGRP and leptin serum levels, increased hypothalamic CGRP, and decreased hypothalamic adiponectin and IL-6. There was a recovery of body and adipose tissue weight, besides a reduction of crown-like structures (CLS) in the inguinal adipose tissue. N-3 supplementation had no effect on NTG-related pain, but it decreased body and adipose tissue weight of HFD and tap water NTG-injected rats. N-3 improved NTG-related affective behavior and inflammatory parameters in tap water NTGinjected rats, with decreased hypothalamic TNF, serum CGRP and inguinal adipose-tissue CLS.Conclusions: HFD relieved NTG-induced pain, possibly due to decreased energy expenditure, minimizing migraine energy needs. N-3 exhibited favorable effects regarding affective behavior and central and peripheral inflammation, irrespective of HFD.

Proteomics profiling reveals mitochondrial damage in the thalamus in a mouse model of chronic migraine

“…Based on a classic migraine rat model established by repeated dural infusions of inflammatory soup (IS), Xin Dong et al [ 38 ] observed abnormal mitochondrial dynamics and damaged mitochondrial biogenesis in the TG. Based on NTG-induced CM model, Barbosa IR et al [ 43 , 44 ] reported that mitochondrial metabolism was influenced by NTG in the brain cortices and TG. However, fructose supplementation led to changes in brain metabolism, lessened the migraine-like painful symptoms, and reduced serum CGRP levels, which might imply that an increased energy supply could be somewhat favorable in migraine.…”