Calcitonin Gene-related Polypeptide as a Mediator of the Neurogenic Ocular Injury Response

Calcitonin gene-related polypeptide (CGRP) has been localised immunochemically within the rat and guinea pig anterior uvea to nerve fibres of trigeminal origin. As with substance P (1-3) the level of CGRP in the iris-ciliary body is depleted after thermal damage to the Gasserian ganglion and elevated in chronically sympathectically denervated eyes. Unlike substance P, a potent pupillary constrictor (4,5), CGRP has no notable miotic action, but does, however, cause an elevation of the intraocular pressure (IOP) accompanied by disruption of the blood-aqueous barrier. It is proposed that the diverse actions of these two sensory neuropeptides conjointly mediate the antidromic ocular injury response.