THE ACTION OF A CALCITONIN GENE-RELATED PEPTIDE ANTAGONIST IN HUMAN SKIN

The CGRP antagonist, CGRP8 - 37, antagonized the ability of CGRP to increase blood flow in human skin and cause erythema. The mechanism of the antagonist effect of CGRP8 - 37 on the CGRP-induced erythema was an increase by the antagonist of the rate of decay of the CGRP-induced erythema. Since CGRP8 - 37 activates rat peritoneal mast cells to release their granular contents, we conclude that the antagonism by CGRP8 - 37 of the effect of CGRP in human skin is caused by an increase in the rate of degradation of CGRP by protease released from skin mast cells by CGRP8 - 37. It was not possible to demonstrate any antagonistic effect of CGRP8 - 37 on the CGRP receptor mediating increased blood flow in human skin.