Calcitonin gene-related peptide stimulates adenylate cyclase and relaxes intracerebral arterioles.

The effects of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) on lumen diameter and adenylate cyclase activity in isolated intracerebral arterioles were examined. CGRP produced a concentration-dependent relaxation of spontaneous tone developed by the arterioles with an EC50 value of 3.9 x 10(-9) M. Calcitonin, as well as substance P, which is frequently colocalized with CGRP, had no effect on arteriolar tone. CGRP also relaxed arterioles contracted with the thromboxane mimetic, U-44619, yielding an EC50 value of 3 x 10(-9) M. The CGRP fragment, human CGRP(8-37), antagonized CGRP-induced relaxation in a noncompetitive manner. Adenylate cyclase activity in single arterioles was stimulated by CGRP, but not by substance P, in a concentration-dependent fashion. Half maximal stimulation occurred at 8 x 10(-9) M, whereas maximum stimulation (2.5-fold over basal) occurred at 10(-7) M. CGRP(8-37) inhibited CGRP-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity over a concentration range of 10(-9) to 10(-5) M. The results demonstrate that CGRP stimulates adenylate cyclase activity and is a potent vasodilator of small parenchymal cerebral arterioles in vitro and may play an important role in the regulation of cerebral blood flow.