Effect of ω-Conotoxin GVIA and ω-Agatoxin IVA on the Capsaicin-Sensitive Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Release and Autoregulatory Vasodilation in Rat Pial Arteries

Open Access
Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
This study assesses the effect of neuronal voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channel blockers, ω-conotoxin GVIA (CTX), and ω-agatoxin IVA (AgTX) on the vasodilation and release of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), both of which were induced by either application of capsaicin or acute stepwise hypotension. Changes in pial arterial diameter were determined directly through a closed cranial window. The vasodilation of pial artery induced by either CGRP (0.1 μmol/L) or capsaicin (0.3 μmol/L) was significantly inhibited by CGRP8–37 (0.1 μmol/L) ( P < 0.05 and P < 0.05, respectively). The autoregulatory vasodilation to acute stepwise hypotension was severely attenuated by pretreatment with either CTX or AgTX. When the hypotension was kept for 2, 4, and 10 minutes, the releasable CGRP-like immunoreactivity (CGRP-LI) level (vehicle, 13.4 ± 1.5 fmol/mm2/30 min) by 10 μmol/L capsaicin from the isolated pial arteries was significantly reduced in the 4- and 10-minute hypotension groups (11.3 ± 1.2 fmol/mm2/30 min, P < 0.05, and 11.1 ± 1.5 fmol/mm2/30 min, P < 0.05, respectively), but not in 2-min group. Moreover, the CGRP-LI level released by 10 μmol/L capsaicin (13.7 ± 0.9 fmol/mm2/30 min) also was significantly depressed by pretreatment with 1 μmol/L CTX to 10.4 ± 1.0 fmol/mm2/30 min ( P < 0.01) and with 0.1 μmol/L AgTX to 8.7 (1.7 fmol/mm2/30 min ( P < 0.001), as well as by pretreatment with 10 μmol/L capsaicin (6.0 ± 1.6 fmol/mm2/30 min, P < 0.001). These results suggest that the neuronal N- and P-type voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels are implicated in the release of CGRP from capsaicin-sensitive perivascular sensory nerves in response to acute hypotension, and that the released CGRP may contribute to the autoregulatory vasodilation in the cerebral microcirculation.