Potent Vasodilator Activity of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide in Human Skin

We have recently shown that the novel neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide, CGRP, is a potent vasodilator. In this paper we report a detailed study of the effects of CGRP in human skin. CGRP induces a clearly defined, long-lasting erythema. We have measured the effect of CGRP on blood flow in human skin using a laser Doppler technique and have demonstrated increased local blood flow that persists for a number of hours. We compared the...