Jpn. J. Pharmacol. 76 (2), 227-231 (1998)

Possible Involvement of K_ATP Channel Activation in Depressor Responses to Vasoactive Neuropeptides in Rats

Keiji Saito and Kazushige Sakai (*)



Central Research Laboratories, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., 3-41-8 Takada Toshima-ku, Tokyo 171, Japan
(*) To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Abstract: I.v. bolus injections of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) (0.3 or 1 microg/kg), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) (0.3 microg/kg) or substance P (0.1 microg/kg) to anesthetized rats reduced blood pressure, accompanied by slight increases in heart rate. Cromakalim (0.3 microg/kg/min) infused i.v. significantly potentiated the depressor responses to VIP and CGRP, but not those to substance P and acetylcholine (ACh) (0.1 microg/kg). Glibenclamide (20 mg/kg, i.v.) significantly inhibited not only the depressor responses to VIP and CGRP, but also the augmentation of the effects of the two agents by cromakalim. These results suggest that the depressor responses to VIP and CGRP are mediated in part through K_ATP channel activation.


Keywords: Neuropeptide, Depressor response, K_ATP channel activation