title: Calcitonin gene related peptide released from dural nerve fibers mediates increase of meningeal blood flow in the rat.
abstract: The parietal dura mater encephali of the rat was shown by immunohistochemistry to be densely innervated by calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactive nerve fibers spreading around the medial meningeal artery and its branches. Electrical stimulation of the dural surface (10-20 V, 5-10 Hz, 10-30 min) caused a depletion of CGRP-immunopositive fibers, suggesting a release of CGRP. The dural blood flow around branches of the medial meningeal artery was also monitored with a laser Doppler flowmeter. Short periods (30 s) of electrical stimulation with parameters that presumably released CGRP form nerve fibers caused a repeatable and constant increase of the blood flow for 1-2 min. This evoked increase could dose dependently be inhibited by topical application of the CGRP antagonist hCGRP8-37. Accordingly, administration of hCGRP increased the basal blood flow. We conclude that stimulation of trigeminal afferents innervating the dura mater releases CGRP from peptidergic afferent terminals, thereby causing vasodilatation and increasing the meningeal blood flow, an important element of neurogenic inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, University of Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Messlinger
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hanesch
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kurosawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pawlak
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008578:Meninges / Q000098:blood supply*; D008581:Meningitis / Q000209:etiology; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide