Role of endothelial cells in antihyperalgesia induced by a triptan and β-blocker

While blood vessels have long been implicated in diverse pain syndromes (e.g., migraine headache, angina pectoris, vasculitis, and Raynaud’s syndrome), underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Recent evidence supports a contribution of the vascular endothelium in endothelin-1-induced hyperalgesia, and its enhancement by repeated mechanical stimulation; a phenomenon referred to as stimulus-induced enhancement of (endothelin) hyperalgesia (SIEH). SIEH is thought to be mediated by release of ATP from endothelial cells, to act on P2X3 receptors on nociceptors. In the present study we evaluated the ability of another vasoactive hyperalgesic agent, epinephrine, to induce endothelial cell-dependent hyperalgesia and SIEH. We found that epinephrine also produces hyperalgesia and SIEH. Both P2X3 receptor antagonists, A317491 and octoxynol-9, which attenuate endothelial cell function, eliminated SIEH without affecting epinephrine hyperalgesia. We further evaluated the hypothesis that members of two important classes of drugs used to treat migraine headache, whose receptors are present in endothelial cells – the triptans and β blockers – have a vascular component to their anti-hyperalgesic action. For this, we tested the effect of ICI-118,551, a β2-adrenergic receptor antagonist and sumatriptan, an agonist at 5-HT1B and 5-HT1D receptors, on nociceptive effects of endothelin and epinephrine. ICI-118,551 inhibited endothelin SIEH, and attenuated epinephrine hyperalgesia and SIEH. Sumatriptan inhibited epinephrine SIEH and inhibited endothelin hyperalgesia and SIEH, while having no effect on epinephrine hyperalgesia or the hyperalgesia induced by a prototypical direct-acting inflammatory mediator, prostaglandin E2. These results support the suggestion that triptans and β-blockers interact with the endothelial cell component of the blood vessel to produce anti-hyperalgesia.

► Endothelin-1 and epinephrine induce mechanical hyperalgesia.
► Mechanical stimulation enhances endothelin-1 and epinephrine-induced hyperalgesia.
► Such enhanced hyperalgesia is dependent on P2X3 receptor activation.
► Triptan and β-blocker attenuate stimulus-induced enhancement of hyperalgesia.