Authors:
Greco R, Gasperi V, Maccarrone M, Tassorelli C.
Abstract:
The recently discovered endocannabinoid system (ECS), which includes
endocannabinoids and the proteins that metabolize and bind them, has
been implicated in multiple regulatory functions both in health and
disease. Several studies have suggested that ECS is centrally and
peripherally involved in the processing of pain signals. This finding is
corroborated by the evidence that endocannabinoids inhibit, through a
cannabinoid type-1 receptor (CB1R)-dependent retrograde mechanism, the
release of neurotransmitters controlling nociceptive inputs and that the
levels of these lipids are high in those regions (such as sensory
terminals, skin, dorsal root ganglia) known to be involved in
transmission and modulation of pain signals. In this review we shall
describe experimental and clinical data that, intriguingly, demonstrate
the link between endocannabinoids and migraine, a neurovascular disorder
characterized by recurrent episodic headaches and caused by abnormal
processing of sensory information due to peripheral and/or central
sensitization. Although the exact ECS-dependent mechanisms underlying
migraine are not fully understood, the available results strongly
suggest that activation of ECS could represent a promising therapeutical
tool for reducing both the physiological and inflammatory components of
pain that are likely involved in migraine attacks.