scholarly journals Acetylcholine and Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide in Cerebral Blood Vessels: Effect of Extirpation of the Sphenopalatine Ganglion

1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 204-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Hara ◽  
I. Jansen ◽  
R. Ekman ◽  
E. Hamel ◽  
E. T. MacKenzie ◽  
...  

The innervation of cerebral blood vessels by nerve fibers containing acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and the vasomotor effects of the two neurotransmitters have been analyzed in the rat following the uni- or bilateral removal of the sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), which is thought to be the major origin of this innervation. Histochemistry of AChE-positive nerve fibers and the immunoreactivity toward VIP revealed only a 30% reduction in the innervation pattern of the rostral part of the cerebral circulation following the operation. At ∼4 weeks postoperatively, the original nerve network was restored. Quantitative measurements of cholineacetyltransferase activity and VIP revealed similar reductions in the levels of collected large cerebral arteries at the base of the brain and in small pial vessels overlying the cerebral cortex at the various postoperative times following uni- or bilateral removal of the SPG. The two techniques thus complemented each other. Vasomotor reactivity to acetylcholine (ACh) and VIP was examined in proximal segments of the middle cerebral artery at the various postoperative times. Generally, the removal of the SPG had no effect on the responses to ACh or VIP. The evidence indicates that only approximately one-third of the cholinergic/VIP innervation of the rostral part of the cerebral circulation originates in the SPG.

1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 720-728 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Edvinsson ◽  
R. Ekman ◽  
I. Jansen ◽  
J. McCulloch ◽  
R. Uddman

The innervation of cerebral blood vessels by nerve fibers containing calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and the vasomotor effects of this peptide are described for a number of different mammalian species. CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers were present in the adventitia of cerebral arteries in all species examined (guinea pig, cat, rabbit, rat, and mouse). Numerous perikarya containing CGRP immunoreactivity are demonstrable in the trigeminal ganglion of all species. In the cerebral perivascular nerve fibers and in trigeminal perikarya, CGRP is often colocalized with substance P and neurokinin A. Marked interspecies differences exist both in the density of CGRP-immunoreactive nerve fibers and in the cerebrovascular levels measured with radioimmunoassay. The highest concentrations were observed in cerebral vessels from guinea pigs, the lowest concentration in rabbit vessels, and intermediate levels in the feline and human cerebral vasculature. CGRP is a potent dilator of cerebral arteries in all species examined (human pial, feline middle cerebral, rabbit, guinea pig and rat basilar arteries). The concentration of CGRP eliciting half-maximal responses ranged from 0.4 n M (human pial artery) to 3 n M (rat and rabbit basilar arteries). Pretreatment of cerebral arteries with low concentrations of either substance P (0.1 n M) or neurokinin A (3 n M) attenuated slightly the CGRP-induced relaxations of guinea pig basilar arteries. Calcitonin was found to be a very weak dilator of cerebral arteries from human and guinea pig. Thus, cardiovascular nerve fibers containing CGRP appear to be present in all mammalian species (although to varying degrees) and CGRP is invariably a potent dilator of the cerebral arteries for all species.


Cephalalgia ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 272-276 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Edvinsson ◽  
PJ Goadsby

The article briefly describes the innervation of the human cerebral circulation by nerve fibers containing neuropeptide Y (NPY), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), substance P (SP), and calcitonin gent-related peptide (CGRP). The neuropeptides in human cerebral arteries were characterized by radioimmunoassay in combination with HPLC. These neuropeptides mediate contraction (NPY) and dilatation (VIP, SP, CGRP). In conjunction with spontaneous attacks of migraine or cluster headache, release of CGRP is seen. With the associated symptoms of nasal congestion and rhinorrhea, VIP is released. Successful treatment may abort the peptide release in parallel with disappearance of headache.


2001 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 168-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Edvinsson ◽  
Peter J. Goadsby ◽  
Rolf Uddman

Amylin and adrenomedullin are two peptides structurally related to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). We studied the occurrence of amylin in trigeminal ganglia and cerebral blood vessels of the cat with immunocytochemistry and evaluated the role of amylin and adrenomedullin in the cerebral circulation by in vitro and in vivo pharmacology. Immunocytochemistry revealed that numerous nerve cell bodies in the trigeminal ganglion contained CGRP immunoreactivity (-ir); some of these also expressed amylin-ir but none adrenomedullin-ir. There were numerous nerve fibres surrounding cerebral blood vessels that contained CGRP-ir. Occasional fibres contained amylin-ir while we observed no adrenomedullin-ir in the vessel walls. With RT-PCR and Real-Time�PCR we revealed the presence of mRNA for calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CLRL) and receptor-activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs) in cat cerebral arteries. In vitro studies revealed that amylin, adrenomedullin, and CGRP relaxed ring segments of the cat middle cerebral artery. CGRP and amylin caused concentration-dependent relaxations at low concentrations of PGF2a-precontracted segment (with or without endothelium) whereas only at high concentration did adrenomedullin cause relaxation. CGRP8-37 blocked the CGRP and amylin induced relaxations in a parallel fashion. In vivo studies of amylin, adrenomedullin, and CGRP showed a brisk reproducible increase in local cerebral blood flow as examined using laser Doppler flowmetry applied to the cerebral cortex of the a-chloralose�anesthetized cat. The responses to amylin and CGRP were blocked by CGRP8-37. The studies suggest that there is a functional sub-set of amylin-containing trigeminal neurons which probably act via CGRP receptors.


1987 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Edvinsson ◽  
J. R. Copeland ◽  
P. C. Emson ◽  
J. McCulloch ◽  
R. Uddman

Perivascular nerve fibers containing neuropeptide Y (NPY)-like immunoreactivity were identified around cerebral blood vessels of human, cat, guinea pig, rat, and mouse. The major cerebral arteries were invested by dense plexuses; veins, small arteries, and arterioles were accompanied by few fibers. Removal of the superior cervical ganglion resulted in a reduction of NPY-like material in pial vessels and dura mater. Pretreatment with 6-hydroxydopamine or reserpine reduced the number of visible NPY fibers and the concentration of NPY in rat cerebral vessels. Sequential immuno-staining with antibodies toward dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH) (an enzyme involved in the synthesis of noradrenaline) and NPY revealed an identical localization of DBH and NPY in nerve cell bodies in the superior cervical ganglion and in perivascular fibers of pial blood vessels, suggesting their coexistence. Administration of NPY in vitro resulted in concentration-dependent contractions that were not modified by a sympathectomy. The contractions induced by noradrenaline, 5-hydroxytryptamine, and prostaglandin F2α and the dilator responses to calcitonin gene-related peptide were not modified by NPY in rat cerebral arteries. However, the constrictor response to NPY was reduced by 70% in the presence of the calcium entry blocker nifedipine, and abolished following incubation in a calcium-free buffer. These data suggest an interaction of NPY at a postsynaptic site, which for induction of contraction may open calcium channels in the sarcolemma of cerebral arteries.


1984 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 407-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Itakura ◽  
Takashi Okuno ◽  
Kazuo Nakakita ◽  
Ichiro Kamei ◽  
Yutaka Naka ◽  
...  

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)– and substance P–containing nerve fibers were observed in the cerebral blood vessels using an immunohistochemical technique. VIP-containing nerve fibers distributed in a spiral pattern, similar to that of muscle cells. Under electron microscopic observation, VIP-immunoreactive terminals lay close to a muscle cell in the inner layer of the adventitia. In contrast, substance P–containing nerve fibers showed a meshwork pattern in the outer layer of the adventitia. Using both acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining and VIP immunohistochemistry, AChE-positive and VIP-immunoreactive nerve fibers revealed almost the same distribution in the same specimen. The present data suggest that VIP-containing nerve fibers may play a role in the smooth muscle control of the blood vessels, whereas substance P–containing nerve fibers may not take part in muscle control.


1989 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew D. Linnik ◽  
Tony Jer-Fu Lee

Electrically stimulated neurogenic vasodilation and endothelial-dependent cholinergic vasodilation in cerebral arteries are both blocked by hemoglobin. To determine if neurogenic vasodilation has a cholinergic component, we examined the effect of hemoglobin on neurogenic responses and perivascular cholinergic parameters in isolated porcine cerebral arteries. The perfused circle of Willis has a mixed response to transmural nerve stimulation (TNS) that is predominately vasodilation. Exposure to hemoglobin (5 μM) causes constriction of this preparation while simultaneously blocking TNS-induced vasodilation. At similar concentrations, however, hemoglobin did not alter electrically stimulated, tetrodotoxin-sensitive release of acetylcholine. Hemoglobin also had no effect on neuronal choline uptake or esteratic inactivation of acetylcholine. These results demonstrate the ability of low concentrations of hemoglobin to alter cerebral neurogenic vasodilation. The failure of hemoglobin to affect any aspect of cholinergic transmission, however, provides further evidence against a direct vasodilatory role for acetylcholine as a terminal transmitter in isolated cerebral blood vessels.


1982 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas T. Zervas ◽  
Theodore M. Liszczak ◽  
Marc R. Mayberg ◽  
Peter McL. Black

✓ Cerebral blood vessels are devoid of vasa vasorum. Therefore, the authors have studied the microarchitecture of the adventitia of large feline cerebral vessels and systemic vessels of the same size, in an effort to determine how the vessels are nourished. The cerebral vessels contain a rete vasorum in the adventitia that is permeable to large proteins and is in continuity with the subarachnoid space. This substructure may be analogous to the systemic vasa vasorum and may contribute to the nutrition of the cerebral arteries.


1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rolf Uddman ◽  
Peter J. Goadsby ◽  
Inger Jansen-Olesen ◽  
Lars Edvinsson

Helospectin I and II and helodermin are nonamidated, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-like peptides, isolated from the salivary gland venom of the lizards Heloderma suspectum and Heloderma horridum. Helospectin I has 38 amino acid residues and differs from helospectin II in that it has an additional serine residue at the C-terminus. Numerous nerve fibers containing helospectin-like immunoreactivity (LI) and a few fibers containing helodermin-LI were present in the adventitia and at the adventitia-media border of cat cerebral arteries. In the sphenopalatine ganglion, numerous nerve cell bodies containing helospectin-LI were seen. Double immunostaining revealed that helospectin-LI nerve cell bodies coexisted with VIP-containing cell bodies. Radioimmunoassay showed high levels of helospectin-LI in extracts of cerebral vessels from the circle of Willis (27.4 pg/mg [wt/wt]). Helospectin I and II and helodermin (10−10 to 10−6 mol/L) produced concentration-dependent relaxations of feline middle cerebral arteries amounting to 50% to 80% of precontraction induced by U46619. The maximum effects and the potency were similar to that of VIP. Neither of these peptides elicited endothelium-dependent relaxations. Intracerebral microinjection of helospectin and helodermin produced a moderate concentration-dependent increase of the cerebral blood flow of α-chloralose anesthetized cats. The maximum increase (21 ± 5%) was observed after the injection of 5 μg helodermin, whereas 16 ± 7% was seen with helospectin I and 19 ± 5% with helospectin II. The results suggest that helospectin/helodermin-like peptides co-localize with VIP in perivascular nerve fibers originating in the sphenopalatine ganglion. They seem to have strong and potent vasodilator effects.


2004 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 59-62
Author(s):  
Amela Kulenović ◽  
Faruk Dilberović

We studied cerebral blood vessels in 25 fetuses of gestational age 16-36 weeks and in 10 cadavers of still-born babies by injection-corrosive method. In the early fetal life, arteries are thin with the straight flow, which is directly connected with the brain development. Progressive changes are observed in all the three cerebral arteries in 28-week old fetus, which straight flow becomes more and more tortuous. As in the 32nd week the brain develops faster and gyri and sulci are being formed, the arteries assume wavy flow and number of their rami increases. In a still-born baby, arteries are of rather bigger caliber; they branch abundantly; and due to their relatively broad cerebral sulci, it can be said that their flow is partly tortuous. Our results show evidently that position, flow and relation of cerebral arteries change concurrently with the brain development and appearance of cerebral gyri and sulci.


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