Ryu P D, Gerber G, Murase K, Randic M
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Iowa State University, Ames 50011.
Neurosci Lett. 1988 Jul 8;89(3):305-12. doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(88)90544-7.
The actions of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) were examined on Ca2+-dependent action potentials and voltage-dependent Ca2+ currents in rat dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons in vitro. In addition, we tested the effect of CGRP on excitatory synaptic transmission in the rat spinal dorsal horn. CGRP produced a reversible increase in the amplitude and the duration of the Ca2+ spike of DRG neurons and directly increased the voltage-dependent Ca2+ current by enhancing both the transient and the sustained components of the current. The increase in the Ca2+ current is likely to be responsible for the increase in the Ca2+ spike and facilitation of excitatory synaptic transmission.
