title: Calcitonin gene-related peptide promotes angiogenesis via AMP-activated protein kinase.
abstract: Ischemia induces angiogenesis as a compensatory response. Although ischemia is known to causes synthesis and release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), it is not clear whether CGRP regulates angiogenesis under ischemia and how does it function. Thus we investigated the role of CGRP in angiogenesis and the involved mechanisms. We found that CGRP level was increased in the rat hindlimb ischemic tissue. The expression of exogenous CGRP by adenovirus vectors enhanced blood flow recovery and increased capillary density in ischemic hindlimbs. In vitro, CGRP promoted human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) tube formation and migration. Further more, CGRP activated AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) both in vivo and in vitro, and pharmacological inhibition of CGRP and cAMP attenuated the CGRP-activated AMPK in vitro. CGRP also induced endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation in HUVECs at Ser1177 and Ser633 in a time-dependent manner, and such effects were abolished by AMPK inhibitor Compound C. As well, Compound C blocked CGRP-enhanced HUVEC tube formation and migration. These findings indicate that CGRP promotes angiogenesis by activating the AMPK-eNOS pathway in endothelial cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medical Science, Peking University Health Science Center, Key Laboratory of Molecular Cardiovascular Science, Ministry of Education, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shuai
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Mingjiang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Bai
authors.forename: Zhou
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Jingyan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: John Y-J
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Shyy
authors.forename: Xian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002196:Capillaries / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D006614:Hindlimb / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D007511:Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D018919:Neovascularization, Physiologic; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011720:Pyrazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D014471:Umbilical Veins / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011720:Pyrazoles; D011743:Pyrimidines; C516138:dorsomorphin; D052250:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type III; D017868:Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide