title: Calcitonin gene-related peptide in the pathogenesis and treatment of hypertension.
abstract: The present study demonstrated that the plasma calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) concentration was lower but the CGRP content of abdominal aorta was higher in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) than in normotensive rats (WKY), using specific CGRP radioimmunoassay (P less than 0.01). In eighteen patients with essential hypertension, the concentration of plasma CGRP was also much lower than that of normal subjects, suggesting that a decreased release of arterial CGRP might be a part of the pathogenesis of essential hypertension. In SHR, a significant decrease in blood pressure was found following intravenous injection of 2.5 micrograms/kg of CGRP; similarly, in seven patients with essential hypertension intravenous injection of CGRP (50 micrograms) could induce a significant hypotensive effect. These data suggest that CGRP is a new potential drug for the treatment of essential hypertension.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Q X
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Z H
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: F R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: M Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: G Z
authors.initials: GZ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Z K
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D011918:Rats, Inbred SHR; D011921:Rats, Inbred WKY
chemical_list: D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide