Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) Stimulates Purkinje Cell Dendrite Growth in Culture

Abstract

Previous reports described the transient expression during development of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP) in rodent cerebellar climbing fibers and CGRP receptor in astrocytes. Here, mixed cerebellar cultures were used to analyze the effects of CGRP on Purkinje cells growth. Our results show that CGRP stimulated Purkinje cell dendrite growth under cell culture conditions mimicking Purkinje cell development in vivo. The stimulation was not blocked by CGRP8-37, a specific antagonist, suggesting the activation of other related receptors. CGRP did not affect survival of Purkinje cells, granule cells or astrocytes. The selective expression of Receptor Component Protein (RCP) (a component of CGRP receptor family) in astrocytes points to a role of these cells as mediators of CGRP effect. Finally, in pure cerebellar astrocyte cultures CGRP induced a transient morphological differentiation from flat, polygonal to stellate form. It is concluded that CGRP influences Purkinje cell dendrite growth in vitro, most likely through the involvement of astrocytes.

Differential roles of calcitonin family peptides in the dendrite formation and spinogenesis of the cerebral cortex in vitro

“…The mechanisms underlying the effects of CGRP to promote the dendrite initiation remain to be examined. A similar stimulatory effect of the dendrite formation was recently reported in the cerebellar Purkinje cells (D'Antoni et al, 2010). It was suggested that the effects on Purkinje cell dendrite may be mediated by astrocytes.…”

“…It has been shown that CGRP promotes differentiation of dopaminergic neurons in the olfactory bulb and midbrain (Denis-Donini, 1989;Bürvenich et al, 1998). A recent study reported that CGRP promotes the dendrite formation of cerebellar Purkinje cells (D'Antoni et al, 2010).…”

Age and Sex-Dependent Differences in the Neurochemical Characterization of Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide-Like Immunoreactive (CGRP-LI) Nervous Structures in the Porcine Descending Colon

“…This is more likely since, on the one hand, previous studies have reported maturation-dependent changes in length, number and appearance of axons and dendrites of the enteric neurons [35]. However, CGRP participates in physiological neuronal development through its involvement in the differentiation of neurons and the promotion of dendrite formation [38,39].…”

Involvement of calcitonin gene-related peptide and receptor component protein in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis

“…CGRP is expressed mainly by neuronal cells and promotes astrocytic and neuronal differentiation (D'Antoni et al, 2010) and modulates the activity of glial cells (Uezono et al, 2001; Wang et al, 2009). CGRP not only promotes neurogenic inflammation in the periphery (Holzer, 1998) and brain (during headache; Durham, 2006), but also protects against inflammatory injuries, as in LPS-induced local acute inflammation (Gomes et al, 2005) or immune-mediated liver injury (Kroeger et al, 2009).…”