Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) increase cutaneous blood flow in a musculocutaneous flap in the rat.

The effect of blood flow on transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and injection of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was studied in a musculocutaneous flap of the rat, using laser Doppler flowmetry. The circulatory border was estimated before and after treatment. It was shown that repeated treatments with TENS gradually increased the blood flow, moving the circulatory border distally more than 100% after three treatments. Injection of NaCl into the dorsal central vein of the flap resulted in no increase in blood flow, whereas CGRP 10(-10) M increased the blood flow, so that the circulatory border moved distally 70% and 60%, respectively.