Serum levels of autotaxin reveal its role as a novel biomarker of migraine.

Background: Migraine is the most common neurological disorder and the second most disabling human condition. Autotaxin (ATX) is a plasma enzyme that leads to the formation of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA), which is involved in different functions involved in migraine, such as vascular tone control, inflammation, neuronal excitation, endothelial dysfunction, and neuropathic pain, among others. Most patients with migraine are females and, interestingly, ATX is physiologically higher in the serum of females compared to males.

Elevated Serum Levels of Acid Sphingomyelinase in Female Patients with Episodic and Chronic Migraine.

Migraine is one of the most common neurological disorders and the second most disabling human condition. The molecular mechanisms of migraine have been linked to neuropeptide release, endothelial dysfunction, oxidative stress and inflammatory processes. Acid sphingomyelinase (aSMase) is a secreted enzyme that leads to sphingomyelin degradation to produce ceramide.

Neuroprotective effect of small extracellular vesicle-mediated targeting of AMPKα2 in cerebral ischemia.

Background And Aims: Smoking is a known risk factor for stroke. However, the 'stroke paradox' refers to the observation that stroke patients who smoke often have higher survival rates and better outcomes compared to non-smokers. In this sense, several studies have demonstrated that nicotine (3-[(2S)-1-methylpyrrolidin-2-yl]pyridine) exerts neuroprotective effects.