title: Elevated sympathetic nervous activity in mice deficient in alphaCGRP.
abstract: alpha-Calcitonin gene-related peptide (alphaCGRP) is a pleiotropic neuropeptide implicated in a variety of physiological processes. To better understand the biological functions of alphaCGRP, we developed an alphaCGRP-null mouse model using a gene targeting approach. Recordings of mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) showed that basal MAP and HR were significantly higher in both anesthetized and conscious, unrestrained alphaCGRP-null mice than in corresponding wild-type mice. The elevated MAP in alphaCGRP-null mice was shown to be the result of elevated peripheral vascular resistance by alpha-adrenergic blockade with prazosin and by transthoracic echocardiogram, which revealed no significant differences between alphaCGRP-null and wild-type mice in the stroke volume, fractional shortening, and ejection fraction. Moreover, evaluation of autonomic nervous activity by measuring HR after pretreatment of atropine and/or atenolol and by analyzing arterial baroreceptor reflexes showed sympathetic nervous activity to be significantly elevated in alphaCGRP-null mice; elevated levels of urinary catecholamine metabolites and decreased HR variability in mutant mice were also consistent with that finding. These findings suggest that alphaCGRP contributes to the regulation of cardiovascular function through inhibitory modulation of sympathetic nervous activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Oh-hashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shindo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kurihara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imai
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kayaba
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nishimatsu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Suematsu
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirata
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yazaki
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kuwaki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurihara
mesh_terms: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D001262:Atenolol / Q000494:pharmacology; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D017704:Baroreflex; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D018390:Gene Targeting; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D011224:Prazosin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D014655:Vascular Resistance
chemical_list: D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D000319:Adrenergic beta-Antagonists; D018727:Muscarinic Antagonists; D001262:Atenolol; D001285:Atropine; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D011224:Prazosin