Department of Neurology, Bielanski Hospital, 01-809 Warsaw, Poland.
Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Warsaw, 01-809 Warsaw, Poland.
Nutrients. 2022 Aug 15;14(16):3335. doi: 10.3390/nu14163335.
Migraine is a chronic disease of global concern, regardless of socio-economic and cultural background. It most often and intensely affects young adults, especially women. Numerous mechanisms of a migraine attack have been identified (disturbances in the reaction of vessels, functions of neurotransmitters, cortical neurons, ion channels, receptors, the process of neurogenic inflammation), and many of its symptoms can be explained by activation of the hypothalamus and disturbances in its communication with other brain regions (including the brainstem). Numerous neuropeptides and neurochemical systems also play a role in migraine. One of them is melatonin, a hormone that allows the body to adapt to cyclically changing environmental and food conditions. In this article, we present the pathophysiological basis of melatonin release from the pineal gland and other tissues (including the intestines) under the influence of various stimuli (including light and food), and its role in stimulating the brain structures responsible for triggering a migraine attack. We analyze publications concerning research on the role of melatonin in various headaches, in various stages of migraine, and in various phases of the menstrual cycle in women with migraine, and its impact on the occurrence and severity of migraine attacks. Melatonin as an internally secreted substance, but also present naturally in many foods. It is possible to supplement melatonin in the form of pharmaceutical preparations, and it seems, to be a good complementary therapy (due to the lack of significant side effects and pharmacological interactions) in the treatment of migraine, especially: in women of childbearing age, in people taking multiple medications for other diseases, as well as those sensitive to pharmacotherapy.
偏头痛是一种全球性关注的慢性疾病，无论社会经济和文化背景如何。它最常且强烈地影响年轻人，尤其是女性。已经确定了偏头痛发作的许多机制（血管反应、神经递质、皮质神经元、离子通道、受体功能紊乱，神经源性炎症过程），其许多症状可以通过激活下丘脑及其与其他大脑区域（包括脑干）的通讯障碍来解释。许多神经肽和神经化学系统也在偏头痛中发挥作用。其中之一是褪黑素，一种允许身体适应周期性变化的环境和食物条件的激素。在本文中，我们介绍了松果腺和其他组织（包括肠道）在各种刺激（包括光和食物）影响下释放褪黑素的病理生理学基础，以及它在刺激负责引发偏头痛发作的大脑结构中的作用。我们分析了关于褪黑素在各种头痛、偏头痛的各个阶段以及偏头痛女性月经周期各个阶段中的作用的研究出版物，以及它对偏头痛发作的发生和严重程度的影响。褪黑素作为一种内源性物质，但也存在于许多食物中。可以以药物制剂的形式补充褪黑素，并且它似乎是治疗偏头痛的一种很好的补充疗法（由于缺乏明显的副作用和药物相互作用），尤其是：在育龄妇女、服用多种其他疾病药物的人以及对药物治疗敏感的人。
