A Substance P Antagonist, [D-Pro 2 , D-Trp 7,9 ]SP, Inhibits Inflammatory Responses in the Rabbit Eye

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Neurogenic factors released by antidromic nerve stimulation are thought to be in part responsible for the vasodilation and breakdown of the blood-aqueous barrier that follows trauma to the eye. Substance P is one candidate for the mediation of the inflammatory response since it is thought to be a neurotransmitter in sensory afferents and since exogenous substance P is capable of eliciting a response characteristic of inflammation. In rabbits, intravitreal or topical application onto the eye of a specific substance P antagonist, [d-Pro2, D-Trp7,9]SP, inhibited not only the irritant effects of exogenous substance P but also the inflammatory response to a standardized trauma (infrared irradiation of the iris). These observations suggest that substance P, or a related peptide, is a neurogenic mediator of the inflammatory response in the eye.