title: Calcitonin gene-related peptide mediates hypotension and tachycardia in endotoxic rats.
abstract: Circulating calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) concentrations are elevated in experimental and clinical sepsis. CGRP causes hypotension and tachycardia, suggesting that the peptide might mediate the acute circulatory changes in sepsis. To test this hypothesis we administered Escherichia coli endotoxin (8 mg/kg iv) to Nembutal- (pentobarbital sodium; 50 mg/kg) anesthetized rats. Endotoxin caused hypotension and tachycardia within 60 min that stabilized for 90 min. After 2 h more severe hypotension developed, and 80% of rats died spontaneously after 3 h. In other endotoxic rats we administered 20 nmol of the CGRP receptor antagonist hCGRP (8-37) intravenously at 60 min. hCGRP (8-37) transiently reversed tachycardia (from 469 +/- 11 to 407 +/- 7 beats/min, P < 0.05) and increased mean blood pressure (from 63 +/- 4 to 93 +/- 11 mmHg, P < 0.05) over 30 min, after which hemodynamics and survival rates were no different from untreated animals. The results suggest that CGRP plays an important role in the acute circulatory changes of endotoxemia. More detailed work is necessary to determine the effects of CGRP antagonism on cardiac function, regional blood flow, and overall survival rates in sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27110.
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Hüttemeier
authors.forename: E F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Benveniste
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004926:Escherichia coli; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D007022:Hypotension / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D004731:Endotoxins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; C058636:calcitonin gene-related peptide (8-37); D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide