[The effect of steroid hormones and antimigraine preparations on serotonin transport in the thrombocytes of persons suffering from migraine and in healthy subjects].

The study tested the hypothesis that there are significant changes in the structure of serotonin transport system as a result of which steroid hormones in physiological concentrations are capable of interacting with this system of the patients. The influence of steroid hormones (estradiol, testosterone, hydrocortisone, corticosterone) as well as of migraine control preparations (nicergoline, methysergide, tolphenamic acid, cinnarizin, flunarizine) on the capture and release of (3H)-serotonin from the thrombocytes of patients with migraine and healthy subjects was compared. The systems mediating the capture and release of (3H)-serotonin from the thrombocytes of patients were found to be highly sensitive to certain steroid hormones and migraine control preparations. The experimental results appear to attest to the presence of structural changes in these systems. At the same time, the sensitivity of thrombocytes to steroid hormones was increased insufficiently for these hormones in physiological concentrations to be able to interact with the systems mediating the capture and release of serotonin from the patients' thrombocytes.