title: Haemodynamic effects of human alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide following administration of endothelin-1 or NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester in conscious rats.
abstract: 1 We investigated the peripheral haemodynamic effects of human alpha-calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) following administration of endothelin-1 or NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), an inhibitor of nitric oxide production, in conscious, chronically-instrumented, Long Evans rats. 2 Infusion of endothelin-1 (3 nmol kg-1 h-1) caused hypertension, bradycardia and renal, mesenteric and hindquarters vasoconstrictions. Co-infusion of human alpha-CGRP (1.5 nmol kg-1 h-1) reduced the hypertension and abolished the hindquarters vasoconstriction caused by endothelin-1 but the renal and mesenteric vasoconstrictor actions of endothelin-1 were not affected. 3 Infusion of human alpha-CGRP (15 nmol kg-1 h-1) in the presence of endothelin-1 caused hypotension and hyperaemic vasodilatation in the hindquarters; the mesenteric vasoconstrictor effects of endothelin-1 were diminished, but there was only a transient reversal of the renal vasoconstrictor effects of endothelin-1. 4 Pretreatment with the non-peptide angiotensin II receptor antagonist, DuP 753 (10 mg kg-1), caused slight hypotension associated with renal, mesenteric and hindquarters vasodilatations, but DuP 753 did not affect responses to endothelin-1 infusion. However, under these conditions co-infusion of human alpha-CGRP (15 nmol kg-1 h-1) caused a sustained reversal of the renal vasoconstrictor effects of endothelin-1. 5 These results indicate that the failure of human alpha-CGRP to cause sustained reversal of the renal vasoconstrictor effects of endothelin-1 in the absence of DuP 753 was due to activation of the reninangiotensin system (possibly as a consequence of the hypotension). 6. In the second experiment, L-NAME (l0mgkg-1) caused renal, mesenteric and hindquarters vasoconstrictions similar to those seen in the presence of endothelin-1. However, the renal vasoconstrictor effects of L-NAME were reversed completely by human alpha-CGRP (l5nmolkg- h-1), even though the latter caused hypotension comparable to that seen in the presence of endothelin-1. These results are consistent with a lack of functional activation of the renin-angiotensin system by human alpha-CGRP in the presence of L-NAME. 7. The vasoconstrictor effects of L-NAME on the hindquarters were completely reversed by infusion of human alpha-CGRP, but hindquarters flow and vascular conductance did not rise above baseline levels. Hence these results indicate the hindquarters hyperaemic vasodilator effects of human alpha-CGRP seen in the presence of endothelin-1 were contributed to by nitric oxide-mediated mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Medical School, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Gardiner
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Compton
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bennett
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Foulkes
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hughes
mesh_terms: D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D001713:Biphenyl Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002216:Captopril / Q000494:pharmacology; D016232:Endothelins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000187:drug effects*; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000098:blood supply; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D019808:Losartan; D008297:Male; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester; D019335:Nitroarginine; D051381:Rats; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D012079:Renal Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D013152:Splanchnic Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D013777:Tetrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D014661:Vasoconstriction / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D001713:Biphenyl Compounds; D016232:Endothelins; D007093:Imidazoles; D013777:Tetrazoles; D000804:Angiotensin II; D019335:Nitroarginine; D001120:Arginine; D002216:Captopril; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D019808:Losartan; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester