Exploring Migraine Pathogenesis: Transcriptomic Insights and Pathway Analysis in Nitroglycerin-Induced Rat Model
Migraine is a chronic neurovascular disease with unclear pathophysiological mechanisms. In this study, its pathogenic mechanisms were investigated through bioinformatics analysis of migraine-related pathways and key genes. Female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control and migraine model group...
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2025-03-01
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| author | Qiao-Wen Chen Run-Tian Meng Chih-Yuan Ko |
| author_facet | Qiao-Wen Chen Run-Tian Meng Chih-Yuan Ko |
| author_sort | Qiao-Wen Chen |
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| description | Migraine is a chronic neurovascular disease with unclear pathophysiological mechanisms. In this study, its pathogenic mechanisms were investigated through bioinformatics analysis of migraine-related pathways and key genes. Female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control and migraine model groups. The control group received saline, while the migraine model group received nitroglycerin (NTG) to induce migraines over four weeks. Migraine-like behaviors were assessed within two hours following the final NTG injection. Genes of hypothalamus were identified using DESeq2. Gene ontology enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses were conducted, followed by the identification of hub genes based on protein interaction networks by using algorithms such as Closeness, Degree, and Maximum Neighborhood Component. Rats with NTG-induced migraine showed increased head scratching and cage climbing and a reduced sucrose preference. Transcriptome analysis revealed 1564 differentially expressed genes, with 1233 upregulated and 331 downregulated. Pathways linked to inflammation, PI3K–Akt signaling, and cytokine–cytokine receptor interactions were found to have enriched expression of several genes. Further protein interaction network analysis identified nine hub genes: <i>Alb</i>, <i>Tgfb1</i>, <i>Cd4</i>, <i>Ptprc</i>, <i>Itgb1</i>, <i>Icam1</i>, <i>Col1a1</i>, <i>Pxdn</i>, and <i>Itgad</i>. These findings suggest that migraine involves PI3K–Akt signaling and cytokine–cytokine receptor interactions, providing insights into molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. However, the study was limited by a small sample size and reliance on a single experimental model, which may constrain the clinical applicability of the findings. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-4a4ae4a6862a4e0fb15606a8660c9e7f2025-08-20T02:28:19ZengMDPI AGCurrent Issues in Molecular Biology1467-30371467-30452025-03-0147424110.3390/cimb47040241Exploring Migraine Pathogenesis: Transcriptomic Insights and Pathway Analysis in Nitroglycerin-Induced Rat ModelQiao-Wen Chen0Run-Tian Meng1Chih-Yuan Ko2The School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, ChinaThe School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, ChinaDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, ChinaMigraine is a chronic neurovascular disease with unclear pathophysiological mechanisms. In this study, its pathogenic mechanisms were investigated through bioinformatics analysis of migraine-related pathways and key genes. Female Sprague Dawley rats were divided into control and migraine model groups. The control group received saline, while the migraine model group received nitroglycerin (NTG) to induce migraines over four weeks. Migraine-like behaviors were assessed within two hours following the final NTG injection. Genes of hypothalamus were identified using DESeq2. Gene ontology enrichment and KEGG pathway analyses were conducted, followed by the identification of hub genes based on protein interaction networks by using algorithms such as Closeness, Degree, and Maximum Neighborhood Component. Rats with NTG-induced migraine showed increased head scratching and cage climbing and a reduced sucrose preference. Transcriptome analysis revealed 1564 differentially expressed genes, with 1233 upregulated and 331 downregulated. Pathways linked to inflammation, PI3K–Akt signaling, and cytokine–cytokine receptor interactions were found to have enriched expression of several genes. Further protein interaction network analysis identified nine hub genes: <i>Alb</i>, <i>Tgfb1</i>, <i>Cd4</i>, <i>Ptprc</i>, <i>Itgb1</i>, <i>Icam1</i>, <i>Col1a1</i>, <i>Pxdn</i>, and <i>Itgad</i>. These findings suggest that migraine involves PI3K–Akt signaling and cytokine–cytokine receptor interactions, providing insights into molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets. However, the study was limited by a small sample size and reliance on a single experimental model, which may constrain the clinical applicability of the findings.https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/4/241migrainehypothalamustranscriptomicsPI3K–AktRNA-seq |
| spellingShingle | Qiao-Wen Chen Run-Tian Meng Chih-Yuan Ko Exploring Migraine Pathogenesis: Transcriptomic Insights and Pathway Analysis in Nitroglycerin-Induced Rat Model Current Issues in Molecular Biology migraine hypothalamus transcriptomics PI3K–Akt RNA-seq |
| title | Exploring Migraine Pathogenesis: Transcriptomic Insights and Pathway Analysis in Nitroglycerin-Induced Rat Model |
| title_full | Exploring Migraine Pathogenesis: Transcriptomic Insights and Pathway Analysis in Nitroglycerin-Induced Rat Model |
| title_fullStr | Exploring Migraine Pathogenesis: Transcriptomic Insights and Pathway Analysis in Nitroglycerin-Induced Rat Model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring Migraine Pathogenesis: Transcriptomic Insights and Pathway Analysis in Nitroglycerin-Induced Rat Model |
| title_short | Exploring Migraine Pathogenesis: Transcriptomic Insights and Pathway Analysis in Nitroglycerin-Induced Rat Model |
| title_sort | exploring migraine pathogenesis transcriptomic insights and pathway analysis in nitroglycerin induced rat model |
| topic | migraine hypothalamus transcriptomics PI3K–Akt RNA-seq |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/4/241 |
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