Pia arachnoid contains substance P originating from trigeminal neurons

Immunoreactive substance P is present in measurable amounts in pia arachnoid from rat, cat, dog and calf. Levels of substance P in this tissue are comparable to those found in peripheral structures receiving innervation from dorsal root or trigeminal ganglia. Separation and measurement of bovine pia-arachnoid extract by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography and radioimmunoassay reveals a single peak of activity with a retention time identical to that of substance P. Unilateral lesions of the trigeminal ganglia decrease substance P levels within cat pia arachnoid and accompanying blood vessels ipsilaterally by greater than 50%. These data indicate that most of the substance P surrounding pial blood vessels resides within afferent nerve fibres from trigeminal ganglion cells.