Plasma calcitonin gene-related peptide decreases in chronic congestive heart failure

To investigate the role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in cardiac failure, a sensitive and specific radioimmu-noassay was developed to study plasma levels of CGRP in 37 normal subjects and 41 patients with heart failure (HF). The mean plasma levels of CGRP were 294·3 pg . ml−1 (SEM: 41·4) in normal subjects and 121·2 pg . ml−1 (SEM: 21·2) in HF patients. The significant decrease observed in HF patients suggests that CGRP is involved in the pathogenesis of heart failure via a direct effect or via modulation of sympathetic nervous activity.