title: Gender-specific effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide and substance P on coronary blood flow in an experimental model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) play counter-regulatory roles in coronary flow. This study is to assess whether effects of CGRP and SP are gender-specific.
  
  
  METHODS
  Langendorff-perfused hearts were used to compare coronary flow rates among 119 wild-type, alpha-CGRP and SP receptor knockout mice under various perfusion pressures (20, 30, 40, 50 mmHg).
  
  
  RESULTS
  For mouse heart coronary flow rate, deletion of alpha-CGRP gene resulted in significant reduction for both genders at all pressures; female CGRP knockout showed 15.3% reduction (P < .01); male CGRP knockout showed 13.8% reduction (P < .01); no significant difference between male and female CGRP knockout; female SP receptor knockout showed 13.9% increase (P < .01); female SP receptor knockout had a greater percentage decrease than male (P < .01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CGRP plays similar roles as a vasodilator in males and females. SP seems to act as a vasoconstrictor in females.
authors.affiliation: Bioengineering Department, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China. hongbao@gmail.com
authors.forename: Ma
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hongbao
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Cherng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Shen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism*; D003326:Coronary Circulation; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D023421:Models, Animal; D010477:Perfusion; D018015:Receptors, Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D018040:Receptors, Neurokinin-1 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics; D012737:Sex Factors; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism*; D014661:Vasoconstriction; D014664:Vasodilation
chemical_list: D018015:Receptors, Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D018040:Receptors, Neurokinin-1; D013373:Substance P; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide