Calcitonin gene-related peptide cooperates with substance P to inhibit melanogenesis and induces apoptosis of B16F10 cells

•CGRP makes no effect on tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis.•CGRP cooperates with SP to inhibit melanogenesis.•CGRP up-regulates its receptor components expression in B16F10 cells.•CGRP improved NK-1R expression.•CGRP shows pro-apoptotic impact on B16F10 cells. Skin is the largest organ in human body and works as biologically active barrier to provide critical preservation of body homeostasis. The skin is highly innervated by a plenitude of nerve fiber subpopulations, each carrying one or more neuronal mediators. Melanocyte itself also intimately contact with nerve fibers to form ‘synaptic-like structure’ and its functions may be directly regulated by the mediators contained in terminals of intra-epidermal nerve fibers. Clinical and biochemical studies have suggested that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is involved in vitiligo skin. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of CGRP on epidermal melanocytes. After treatment with CGRP ranging from 0 to 500ng/mL for 48h, tyrosinase activity and melanogenesis were with little changes compared to treatment with medium only in B16F10 cells. Treatment with 500ng/mL of CGRP cooperates with substance P (SP) (0.1–10nM) to decrease tyrosinase activity and decrease melanin biosynthesis in B16F10 cells in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, CGRP (8-37) antagonizes the synergistic effect of CGRP. The effect of CGRP on the cell apoptosis was examined. Treatments with 0–500ng/mL of CGRP for 24h, the expression levels of cleaved caspase-3, total caspase-3, cleaved caspase-9 and total caspase-9 were increased in a concentration-dependent manner. And 500ng/mL of CGRP induced B16F10 cell apoptosis showed by TUNEL assay. In addition, Bax expression was up-regulated and Bcl-2 down-regulated in response to CGRP treatment. Hence, the Bax/Bcl-2 ratio was significantly increased. These in vitro observations indicate the pro-apoptotic impact of CGRP on B16F10 cell.