AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 252, Issue 2 215-G218, Copyright © 1987 by American Physiological Society
Calcitonin gene-related peptide inhibits acid secretion without modifying blood flow
F. W. Leung, E. G. Tallos, Y. F. Tache and P. H. Guth
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a 37-residue peptide present in
the central and peripheral nervous system. Based on previous reports of its
localization in fibers associated with vascular smooth muscles of vessels
and its potent inhibitory effect on acid secretion, we studied the
influence of intravenous infusion of rat CGRP on gastric mucosal blood
flow. The hydrogen gas-clearance technique was used to measure mucosal
blood flow in urethan-anesthetized rats. CGRP infused intravenously in
doses of 1 or 10 micrograms X kg-1 X h-1 did not significantly modify basal
gastric corpus mucosal blood flow or mean-arterial blood pressure. Gastric
acid secretion stimulated by pentagastrin infusion (20 micrograms X kg-1 X
h-1) was suppressed by CGRP administration (10 micrograms X kg-1 X h-1),
whereas neither gastric corpus mucosal blood flow nor mean arterial blood
pressure were significantly changed. These results indicate that CGRP must
exert its inhibitory action on gastric acid secretion by a mechanism other
than decreasing gastric mucosal blood flow.
