Inflammation in acute CNS injury: a focus on the role of substance P

Abstract Recently, a number of reports have shown that neurogenic inflammation may play a role in the secondary injury response following acute injury to the central nervous system (CNS), including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and stroke. In particular substance P (SP) release appears to be critically involved. Specifically, expression of the neuropeptide SP is increased in acute CNS injury, with the magnitude of SP release being related to both the frequency and magnitude of the insult. SP release is associated with an increase in blood‐brain barrier permeability and the development of vasogenic oedema as well as neuronal injury and worsened functional outcome. Moreover, inhibiting the actions of SP through use of a NK1 antagonist is highly beneficial in both focal and diffuse models of TBI, as well as in ischaemic stroke, with a therapeutic window of up to 12h. We propose that NK1 antagonists represent a novel therapeutic option for treatment of neurogenic inflammation following acute CNS injury.
Source: British Journal of Pharmacology - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Authors: Tags: Review Article – Inflammation: Maladies, Models, Mechanisms & Molecules Themed Issue Source Type: research