Pathophysiological Function of Endogenous Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide in Ocular Vascular Diseases.

Pathophysiological Function of Endogenous Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide in Ocular Vascular Diseases. Am J Pathol. 2015 Apr 6; Authors: Toriyama Y, Iesato Y, Imai A, Sakurai T, Kamiyoshi A, Ichikawa-Shindo Y, Kawate H, Yamauchi A, Igarashi K, Tanaka M, Liu T, Xian X, Zhai L, Owa S, Murata T, Shindo T Abstract Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP; official name CALCA) has a variety of functions and exhibits both angiogenic and anti-inflammatory properties. We previously reported the angiogenic effects of the CGRP family peptide adrenomedullin in oxygen-induced retinopathy; however, the effects of CGRP on ocular angiogenesis remain unknown. Herein, we used CGRP knockout (CGRP(-/-)) mice to investigate the roles of CGRP in ocular vascular disease. Observation of pathological retinal angiogenesis in the oxygen-induced retinopathy model revealed no difference between CGRP(-/-) and wild-type mice. However, much higher levels of the CGRP receptor were present in the choroid than the retina. Laser-induced choroidal neovascularization (CNV), a model of exudative age-related macular degeneration, revealed more severe CNV lesions in CGRP(-/-) than wild-type mice, and fluorescein angiography showed greater leakage from CNV in CGRP(-/-). In addition, macrophage infiltration and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α production were enhanced within the CNV lesions in CGRP(-/-) mice, and the TNF-α, in turn, suppressed the barrier formation of retinal pi...
Source: The American Journal of Pathology - Category: Pathology Authors: Tags: Am J Pathol Source Type: research