Interaction of calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) in human skin
Introduction
CGRP (calcitonin gene related peptide) and substance P (SP) are neuropeptides stored in peptidergic C-fibers. SP causes plasma protein extravasation and moderate vasodilation in the skin, while CGRP is one of the most potent vasodilators in the human body (Brain and Cox, 2006, Russell et al., 2014). Both neuropeptides contribute to neurogenic inflammation, which is organized as an axon reflex. Activation of nociceptive C-fiber induces action potentials which are directed centrally to the spinal cord. At peripheral branching points some action potentials are redirected to the periphery again thereby releasing neuropeptides like CGRP and SP leading to an increase of superficial blood flow, the axon reflex flare (Schmelz and Petersen, 2001). Continuing intradermal application of CGRP e.g. via dermal microdialysis induces a persisting vasodilation without plasma protein extravasation (PPE). In contrast, continuing intradermal application of SP induces a short lasting vasodilation in combination with PPE (Weidner et al., 2000).
Although both neuropeptides show distinctive effects, they are likely to interact. Even differences between species are possible: IN rat skin, SP-induced PPE was increased when CGRP was co-applied, but in rabbits SP did not induce PPE at all (Brain and Williams, 1985, Gamse and Saria, 1985). The first interaction experiments in humans were done by intracutaneous injections of pharmacological doses of CGRP and SP. Under these circumstances CGRP did not affect vasodilation and PPE induced by SP (Fuller et al., 1987) but SP shortened the duration of vasodilation induced by CGRP. It was supposed that the latter is due to the release of proteolytic enzymes from mast cells by SP (Wallengren and Wang, 1993). A few years ago, the first microdialysis studies questioned the relevance of these findings to physiological conditions. It was not possible to induce PPE or degranulation of mast cells via the endogenous release of SP from primary afferents in healthy human skin (Sauerstein et al., 2000).
However, a better understanding of the CGRP/SP interaction in humans may provide insight into the underlying vascular mechanisms mediating erythema, warmth, edema and sweating in chronic pain disorders such as complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) (Schlereth et al., 2006). The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate the interactions of the neuropeptides CGRP and SP. Dermal superficial blood flow was quantitatively analyzed with Laser Doppler Imaging (Namer et al., 2013) and PPE by dermal microdialysis in normal human skin (Schlereth et al., 2006).
Section snippets
Participants
A total of 24 healthy volunteers (mean age 24.7 years) were studied, six of the volunteers participated in 2 experiments. Written informed consent was obtained from all subjects according to the standards set by the latest revision of the Declaration of Helsinki and the study was approved by the ethics committee of the Rhineland Palatinate Medical Association. The experiments were done in a temperature- and humidity-controlled lab (40–60% humidity, temperature: 23 °C). Subjects were seated
Vasodilation
SP was applied in concentrations of 10− 5 M, 10− 6 M, 10− 7 M, 10− 8 M, and 10− 9 M. Taken all concentrations together SP increased blood flow across time with a maximal effect after 5 min (F6/54 = 8.100, p < 0.001, see Fig. 1a). Post hoc testing revealed a significantly higher blood flow after 5 min compared to 30 and 35 min (each p < 0.05). After 30 min, blood flow had returned to baseline values, all other time points were not different among each other.
When CGRP 10− 9 M was added to SP, mean blood flow was also
Discussion
Our results demonstrate a complex interaction of the neuropeptides CGRP and SP, both of which are vasodilators in the human skin. Intradermal perfusion of SP in normal skin induced an immediate and transient vasodilation, which was blocked by CGRP 10− 6 and 10− 9 M. CGRP 10− 6 M induced a long-lasting vasodilation as expected which was not seen with CGRP 10− 9 M. On the other hand, intradermal perfusion of SP induced PPE as expected. This was, however, prolonged into the washout period by
Conclusion
Our results demonstrate a complex interaction of CGRP and SP neuropeptides which are physiologically released from nociceptors in human skin. Higher concentrations of CGRP are inhibitory for the immediate SP evoked vasodilation but are also facilitating SP evoked plasma protein extravasation. Although speculative, this interaction could be responsible for the symptom variability that occurs in chronic pain conditions characterized by neurogenic inflammation such as complex regional pain
Funding statement
This study was supported by the German Research Foundation, DFG Bi 579/8, the EU FP7 ncRNAPain grant 602133, and the Dietmar Hopp Foundation 23016006. The funding sources had no involvement in the study design, collection, analysis and interpretation of the data or preparation of the article.
Conflict of interest
Tanja Schlereth, Jonas Schukraft, Tatiana Ackermann report no conflict of interest. Heidrun H. Krämer has received a grant from the Forschungsförderung §2 of the Justus-Liebig-University Giessen. She has received speakers' honoraria from Pfizer and Actelion and paid consultancy for Grifols. Christian Geber was supported by the “Kalkhof-Rose-Stiftung” and intramural grants from the Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz. He has received speakers' fees from Pfizer, UCB and EISAI. He is a member of
Acknowledgements
This study contains essential parts of the MD thesis of J. Schukraft, which has been accepted by the Faculty of Medicine, University Medical Centre of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany. We thank Darragh O′Neill for his help with article preparation and Dr. Antje Jahn (IMBEI, Institute for Medical Biometry, Epidemiology, and Informatics of the Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz) for help with statistical analysis of the data.
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