Related Experiment Videos
Calcitonin gene-related peptide enhances apoptosis of thymocytes
H Sakuta1, K Inaba, S Muramatsu
1Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kyoto University, Japan.
Journal of Neuroimmunology
|July 1, 1996
Abstract:
The effect of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a neuropeptide, on the apoptosis of murine thymocytes was investigated. CGRP enhanced apoptosis of thymocytes beyond the spontaneous level at concentrations of 10(-11) M or higher, and the effect attained a plateau at 10(-9) M, mainly by stimulating cAMP formation. Implication of cAMP-independent mechanism was also suggested in the CGRP-induced apoptosis. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that CGRP caused apoptosis preferentially in CD4+8+ thymocytes. In addition, RNA and protein synthesis was required for apoptosis induced by CGRP.