neurokinin-a and Ischemia

The effects of experimentally induced ischaemia after free-flap surgery on concentrations of neuropeptide Y (NPY), neurokinin A (NKA), substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-like immunoreactivity (-LI) were studied in flap tissue and in different regions of the rat brain (striatum, hippocampus, pituitary, hypothalamus, frontal and occipital cortex). Ten days after the operation, CGRP-LI and NKA-LI were decreased in the ischaemic tissue but increased in the surrounding tissue. In the brain, CGRP-LI was increased in five of six regions analysed, with the exception of the striatum. SP-LI and NKA-LI were increased in the pituitary and hippocampus, but decreased in other brain regions. Changes of CGRP-LI in the brain correlated positively with the CGRP-LI concentrations in the surrounding flap tissue and the CGRP-LI concentrations in the ischaemic flap tissue with the extent of flap survival. The results of the present study suggest that higher concentrations of CGRP-LI are related to tissue survival and that endogenous CGRP has a regulatory effect in ischaemia.

Topics: Animals; Biopsy; Brain Chemistry; Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; Cerebral Cortex; Cross Reactions; Ischemia; Male; Neurokinin A; Neuropeptide Y; Rats; Rats, Inbred WKY; Substance P; Surgical Flaps; Sympathetic Nervous System