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Increase of meningeal blood flow after electrical stimulation of rat dura mater encephali: mediation by calcitonin gene‐related peptide
Author(s) -
Kurosawa Mieko,
Messlinger Karl,
Pawlak Matthias,
Schmidt Robert F.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1995.tb13361.x
Subject(s) - calcitonin gene related peptide , dura mater , stimulation , calcitonin , blood flow , efferent , pia mater , chemistry , endocrinology , efferent nerve , medicine , laser doppler velocimetry , anatomy , afferent , neuropeptide , receptor
1 The dura mater encephali of the rat was exposed and the blood flow around branches of the medial meningeal artery was monitored with a laser Doppler flowmeter. Changes in the meningeal blood flow (MBF) following electrical stimulation of the dura mater at a parasagittal site were registered. The effects of human calcitonin gene‐related peptide (h‐αCGRP) and the CGRP antagonist (h‐αCGRP 8–37 ) on the MBF were tested. 2 Electrical stimulation with rectangular pulses of 0.5 ms, 10–20 V, 5–10 Hz and a duration of 30 s caused an increase of the MBF in 14 out of 16 rats tested. The increases were dependent on stimulus strength and frequency. 3 The increase in MBF was inhibited in a dose‐dependent manner by topical application of 0.1 ml of h‐αCGRP 8–37 at concentrations of 10 −7 ‐10 −5 M. The highest dose abolished the increase in MBF. 4 Topical administration of 0.1 ml of h‐αCGRP at a concentration of 10 −4 M increased the basal MBF by 15% on average. 5 It is suggested that the increase in MBF following electrical stimulation of the dura mater is mediated by the release of CGRP. The contribution of the dural afferent and sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent nerve fibres to this response are discussed.