Effect of K(ATP) channel blocker glibenclamide on PACAP38-induced headache and hemodynamic

What Was Tested

Researchers studied PACAP in this randomized controlled trial publication.

To determine whether glibenclamide, a non-selective adenosine 5'-triphosphate-sensitive K+ (KATP) channel blocker, attenuates pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide-38 (PACAP38)-induced headache and vascular changes in healthy volunteers.

Who Took Part

The study group was 22 volunteers.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled and crossover study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got PACAP and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Blinding on both sides kept the volunteers and researchers unaware of who received PACAP.

Some volunteers received a placebo instead of PACAP, giving a reference point.

Each person switched between PACAP and the comparison at some point, usually with a gap in between.

The primary endpoint was the difference in incidence of headache (0-12 hours) between glibenclamide and placebo.

The secondary endpoints were a difference in area under the curve for headache intensity scores, middle cerebral artery velocity (VmeanMCA), superficial temporal artery diameter, radial artery diameter, heart rate, mean arterial blood pressure and facial skin blood flow between the two study days.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including Adenosine Triphosphate, Glyburide, Headache, Heart Rate and Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide.

Author keywords: Humans, cranial arteries, migraine and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide-38.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized, double-blind and placebo-controlled study of PACAP in 22 volunteers.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 5 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2022 (Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache), a journal based in England.

More context: the PACAP compound page, all human trials.