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Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The effects on the sexual tone of parachlorophenylalanine, a selective inhibtor of 5-hydroxytryptamine synthesis, testosterone and placebo were evaluated in patients complaining of migraine-headache and sexual deficiency. The combined treatment with parachlorophenylalanine and testosterone significantly increases the sexual stimulus more than parachlorophenylalanine, testosterone and placebo, when given on their own. Conversely subjects with normal or excessive sexual activity, reported a decrease of sexual tone, during chronic treatment with tryptophan. The hypothesis of an implication of brain 5-HT in the mechanism of psychogenic sexual deficiency and the possibility of a therapeutic approach with drugs able to interfere with 5-HT turnover are discussed.
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PMID:The influence of tryptophan and parachlorophenylalanine on the sexual activity in man. 14 11

Monoamines are involved in the central nervous assimilation and modulation of the pain flow. According to a personal hypothesis, a disorder of this biochemical control (in particular a precariousness of brain 5-hydroxytryptamine turnover), is the basic mechanism of some painful conditions, such as migraine and other essential headaches. Acute (infusion) and chronic (ingestion) administration of tryptophan to migraine-headache sufferers improved the clinical course significantly in respect to placebo. Few patients with untractable pain from disseminated cancer received daily infusion of tryptophan and ingested a few gr of this amnioacid: improvement of pain and reduction of morphine necessity was observed. Parachlorophenylalanine chronic administration in migraine-headache sufferers lowered the pain threshold so far as to provoke (in 20% of cases) spontaneous pains in the trunk, legs and arms. This systemic pain syndrome was promptly reversible by discontinuing the treatment. Spontaneous pain syndrome was not reported by others in the healthy subject; this suggests an apparent vulnerability of 5HT turnover in essential headaches.
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PMID:5-Hydroxytryptamine and pain modulation in man: a clinical pharmacological approach with tryptophan and parachlorophenylalanine. 14 17

Varying reactions of the vegetative nerve system to various point combinations (for example: vomiting, dizziness, diarrhea, urge to urinate, fatigue or drowsiness, headache), especially to the needling of Tai Chong (Li 3), induced us to perform biochemical studies before and after acupuncture treatment. A group of children and a group of adults were studied. The material studied was urine and blood; from the children, urine only. The following were determined in the urine: indolacetic acid, 5-hydroxy-indol-3-acetic acid, homovanillic acid, and vanillic-mandelic acid; in the blood, tyrosine and tryptophan (free and bound). Individual points with wide influence (He Gu = LI 4; Zu San Li = St 36; Tai Chong = Li 3) and their combination with generally effective points were tested. The needling of Tai Chong especially showed a clear increase in indolamine metabolism. Isolated increases in metabolites of catecholamine metabolism could be correlated with the patient's increased physical activity after acupuncture. Noteworthy is the observation that no significant chemical reactions were evident if local reactions to the needling no longer appeared at the end of a series of acupuncture treatments.
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PMID:Manipulation of neurotransmitters by acupuncture (?) (A preliminary communication). 23 99

The blood levels of free tryptophan, glucose and insulin were determined in different groups of patients suffering from headache, initially and after a glucose tolerance and a tolbutamide tolerance test. The control group consisted of subjects without neurological or psychiatric disturbance. A sharp drop of blood tryptophan levels was observed in migraine patients during the tolbutamide tolerance. Migraine attacks may be induced in certain subjects by a disturbance of 5-hydroxytryptamine turnover.
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PMID:Insulin secretion in migraine: influence on the blood levels of tryptophan. 97 99

1 The psychotropic effects of a single oral dose of (--)-tryptophan (5 g) in human volunteers were investigated using a series of physiological and psychological tests. 2 Self-ratings of mood showed increase in drowsiness but no euphoria was detected. 3 Severe initial nausea occurred and headache increased; other bodily symptoms were unaffected. 4 Trptophan caused increased activity in the slow wavebands of the EEG but did not alter the other physiological measures. 5 The levels of total and free tryptophan in the plasma increased 8 and 20 fold respectively to peak levels 2 h after ingestion.
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PMID:The acute effects of oral (--)-tryptophan in human subjects. 123 98

Recently there have been reports that long-term use of estrogen- containing oral contraceptives (OCs) can induce folic acid and vitamin B deficiency which can lead to hematopoiesis. The symptoms are paleness, forgetfulness, sleeplessness, and euphoric and depressive states. This deficiency occurs when serum folic content falls below 8 nmol/1 or 3 ng/ml. According to a nutrition group blood folic acid level declined up to 40% in patients taking OCs. In a Sri Lanka study of healthy women aged 20-45 taking Ovulen 50 (.05 mg of ethinyl estradiol and 1 mg of ethynodiol diacetate) folic acid level dropped in the 1st 6 months stabilizing at 2.2 ng/ml in those from the lowest social classes and at 2.9 ng/ml in those from privileged classes. Prophylactic substitution of folic acid in the diet was recommended by WHO, but it is less effective since it appears in the diet as polyglutamate that has to be broken down to absorbable monoglutamate. A US study found that taking OCs for 60 months resulted in a 40% reduction of the vitamin B12 serum level, while vitamin B12 concentrations in erythrocytes and peripheral blood stayed normal. Vitamin B12 helps recover tetrahydrofolic acid from N-methyltetrahydrofolic acid. Possibly this is another manifestation of OC-induced folic acid hypovitaminosis. OCs can also influence tryptophan metabolism reducing its blood concentration whereby less 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) is produced. This results in headache, concentration decreases irritability, and sleep disturbances. In addition, lower riboflavin (vitamin B2) and thiamin concentration in erythrocytes was reported after using OCs. Counseling on the possible effect on vitamin stores and on proper nutrition including folic acid as monoglutamate is necessary for women who use OCs or estrogen substitution therapy for postmenopause or for osteoporosis prophylaxis.
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PMID:[Folic acid and vitamin deficiency caused by oral contraceptives]. 192 42

A phase I trial involving continuous infusion of both beta- and gamma-interferon (IFN-beta and IFN-gamma) was conducted in 20 patients in order to determine whether combinations of high doses of IFN-beta and IFN-gamma were tolerable when administered under conditions which mimic conditions of in vitro antiproliferative studies. Patients received a 5-day continuous infusion of IFN-beta/IFN-gamma, followed by a 9-day rest period. Two cycles were administered. Doses of IFN-beta/IFN-gamma were escalated between 4 dose levels, with 5 patients per dose level. Dose-dependent side effects, consisting primarily of constitutional symptoms typical of those experienced with IFN, were observed. The maximally tolerated dose of continuous IFN-beta/IFN-gamma infusion was 3 x 10(6) units of IFN-beta and 200 micrograms of IFN-gamma. Dose-limiting side effects consisted of severe headache, fatigue, fever, and hepatic toxicity. No clinical responses were observed. Serum IFN was measurable only at the highest 3 dose levels. Only 5 patients (4 at the highest dose level) had total serum levels which exceeded 50 laboratory units/ml (55, 63, 800, 800, and 550 laboratory units/ml, respectively). In order to confirm the biological effectiveness of this schedule, we measured IFN-inducible proteins prior to therapy, 24 h after the initiation of the infusion, and at the completion of the 5-day infusion. 2'-5'-Oligoadenylate synthetase, serum beta 2-microglobulin, neopterin, and p78 levels all increased significantly, and serum tryptophan decreased significantly within 24 h after the initiation of treatment (P less than 0.0001). A dose-response effect was observed for serum beta 2-microglobulin, neopterin, and p78 (P less than 0.02). We retrospectively compared the results of this trial with those of another IFN-beta/IFN-gamma trial in which IFN-beta and IFN-gamma were administered by i.v. bolus. Within the limitations of a retrospective comparison, continuous infusion was less well tolerated than our previous schedule of bolus administration 3 times/week. However, the continuous infusion schedule appeared to be more effective in enhancing 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase levels in mononuclear cells. We conclude that tolerable doses of IFN-beta and IFN-gamma do not result in serum IFN levels which produce significant synergistic antiproliferative responses in vitro. This study and other findings suggest that, unless higher doses can be achieved, combinations of IFN-beta and IFN-gamma are unlikely to have significant therapeutic activity.
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PMID:Biological and clinical effects of the combination of beta- and gamma-interferons administered as a 5-day continuous infusion. 211 42

To investigate systemic serotonin (5-HT) metabolism in migraine, we determined platelet and platelet-free plasma concentrations of 5-HT, its precursors tryptophan and 5-hydroxytryptophan, and its main metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), as well as the activities of the platelet enzymes monoamine oxidase and phenolsulfotransferase in classic and common migraineurs. Between attacks, migraineurs had lower plasma 5-HT and higher 5-HIAA levels than did healthy controls and patients with tension headache. During migraine attacks, plasma 5-HT levels were substantially higher than during attack-free periods, while 5-HIAA concentrations and platelet enzyme activities were lower. Platelet 5-HT was reduced only during common, but not classic, migraine attacks. We hypothesize that systemic 5-HT metabolism is enhanced in migraineurs during headache-free periods and transiently decreases during attacks, presumably due to a fall in enzymatic degradation. Furthermore, platelet behavior differs during migraine attacks with and without aura, and release of platelet 5-HT cannot (exclusively) be held accountable for the rise of plasma 5-HT during migraine attacks.
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PMID:Serotonin metabolism in migraine. 247 21

L-Tryptophan (L-TP) has been used in migraine and other pain conditions. The mechanism underlying the analgesic effect is still partly undefined. In this study the effects of subchronic administration of L-5-hydroxytryptophan (L-5HTP) (with and without carbidopa) on plasma beta-endorphin (beta-EP) levels and subjective pain threshold and tolerance were investigated in seven healthy volunteers. To measure also an objective indicator of pain, the nociceptive flexion reflex threshold was studied. L-5HTP treatment with and without carbidopa administration increased beta-EP levels significantly (p less than 0.05). L-5HTP plus carbidopa induced an increase in beta-EP significantly (p less than 0.05) greater than that induced by L-5HTP alone. Neither the subjective pain threshold and tolerance nor the RIII threshold was modified by either treatment. Our data seem to point to the existence of a complex linkage between plasma opioid levels and pain perception.
Cephalalgia 1986 Sep
PMID:Effects of L-5HTP with and without carbidopa on plasma beta-endorphin and pain perception: possible implications in migraine prophylaxis. 294 45

L-Tryptophan (L-TP) has been used in migraine and other pain conditions. The mechanism underlying the analgesic effect is still partly undefined. In this study the effects of subchronic administration of L-5-hydroxy-tryptophan (L-5HTP) (with and without carbidopa) on plasma beta-endorphin (beta-EP) levels and subjective pain threshold and tolerance were investigated in seven healthy volunteers. To measure also an objective indicator for pain, the nociceptive flexion reflex threshold was studied. L-5HTP treatment with and without carbidopa administration increased beta-EP levels significantly (p less than 0.05). L-5HTP plus carbidopa induced an increase in beta-EP significantly (p less than 0.05) higher than that after L-5HTP alone. Neither subjective pain threshold and tolerance nor RIII threshold was modified by either treatment. Our data seem to point to the existence of a complex linkage between plasma opioid levels and pain perception.
Cephalalgia 1986 Dec
PMID:Effects of L-5HTP with and without carbidopa on plasma beta-endorphin and pain perception. Possible implications in migraine prophylaxis. 294 52


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