title: Endogenous calcitonin gene-related peptide mediates nonadrenergic noncholinergic depressor response to spinal cord stimulation in the pithed rat.
abstract: The role of endogenous calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the nonadrenergic noncholinergic depressor response to spinal cord stimulation was studied in the pithed rat in vivo. Pithed rats were given hexamethonium (2 mg/kg per minute i.v.) to block autonomic outflow, and mean blood pressure was artificially maintained at approximately 100 mm Hg with methoxamine (10-15 micrograms/kg per minute i.v.). Electrical stimulation of the spinal cord at the level of the lower thoracic vertebra (T9-12) caused a fall in blood pressure in a frequency-dependent (0.5-10 Hz), voltage-dependent (2.5-50 V), and pulse duration-dependent (0.25-8 msec) manner. The heart rate did not change during the depressor response. The depressor response was long lasting, and the maximum response was elicited by stimulation at 4-6 Hz. The neurotoxin tetrodotoxin (100 micrograms/kg i.v.) abolished the depressor response to spinal cord stimulation, whereas treatment with propranolol (0.5 mg/kg per minute i.v.), atropine (0.05 mg/kg per minute i.v.), or a combination of pyrilamine (0.5 mg/kg per minute i.v.) and cimetidine (0.5 mg/kg per minute i.v.) did not affect the response. In pithed rats treated with capsaicin (total dose of 500 mg/kg s.c.), spinal cord stimulation caused a slight depressor response. Exogenous CGRP, but not acetylcholine, isoproterenol, histamine, or substance P, caused a sustained fall in blood pressure that mimicked the spinal cord stimulation-induced depressor response. Continuous infusion of CGRP[8-37] (60 nmol/kg per minute i.v.), a CGRP receptor antagonist, markedly inhibited the depressor responses not only to spinal cord stimulation but also to exogenous CGRP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Miyazaki Medical College, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imamura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takasaki
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D002211:Capsaicin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002927:Cimetidine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D011433:Propranolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D011738:Pyrilamine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D014664:Vasodilation
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; C058636:calcitonin gene-related peptide (8-37); D001285:Atropine; D002927:Cimetidine; D011433:Propranolol; D011738:Pyrilamine; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D002211:Capsaicin